Jammu: In a significant step towards strengthening the wool sector and promoting sheep and wool-related cooperative societies in Jammu and Kashmir, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday between the Department of Cooperatives and the Department of Sheep Husbandry here at the Registrar Cooperative Societies Complex, Bantalab.
The MoU was formally signed by Additional Registrar Cooperative Societies Jammu, Bal Krishan and Joint Director Extension, Sheep Husbandry Department, Jammu, Dr. Tara Chand in presence of Priyanka Bhatt Joint Registrar (Audit), Cooperative Societies, Deputy Director Sheep Husbandry Jammu, Deputy Registrar (HQ) Cooperative Societies Jammu, Assistant Registrar (HQ) Cooperative Societies Jammu, and other officials from both departments.
This agreement aims to revitalize the wool sector in Jammu Division by leveraging cooperative enterprises. The focus will be on facilitating the registration of Village Cooperative Societies (VCS), providing infrastructure and financial support, streamlining wool collection and marketing, and creating a structured three-tier cooperative system at village, district, and divisional levels.
Additional Registrar Cooperative Societies, Jammu, emphasized the synergy between the two departments, with Cooperatives providing an institutional framework and Sheep Husbandry offering technical expertise. He also spoke about the role of women cooperatives in traditional wool-based activities, referencing the Charkha as a symbol of self-reliance and economic empowerment. Additionally, he underlined the value addition opportunities in the wool sector, stressing that wool products, unlike perishable goods, have longevity and market sustainability. He further elaborated on how cooperatives can leverage their extensive social base and align with schemes under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) and the Sheep Husbandry Department to boost rural economies and unlock the sector’s untapped potential.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Tara Chand, Joint Director Extension, Sheep Husbandry Department, highlighted the current status of the sheep and wool sector in J&K, the challenges posed by competition from synthetic fibers, and the potential of value addition and technical support to rejuvenate the industry, especially in far-flung areas.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Deputy Registrar (HQ), Cooperative Societies Jammu.
