Sheep farming is one of the most important activities that is fast catching the attention of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. It is fast growing, demand driven activity and gaining much popularity among young educated youth. It has become one of the lucrative entrepreneurship choices in Jammu and Kashmir and is providing livelihood support to around 1.2 million families and contributing 5% to Jammu and Kashmir’s GDP. There is no dearth of demand for sheep in Jammu and Kashmir particularly the Kashmir valley as its meat has great demand and market here. As per the data, Jammu and Kashmir consumes more than 600 lakh kilograms of mutton annually of which 350 lakh kilograms are imported from other states of India like Rajasthan, Gujarat etc. The local production of mutton is not meeting the demand of people so a shortfall of mutton is met by imports that has increased the price of mutton very high due to high import charges. The Jammu and Kashmir State has a great potential for the development of sheep farming both at government and at private level. Its conducive agro climatic conditions, rich pastures and vast area of community land with nutritious fodder are the main requirements for development of sheep farming. For the past one decade, the unemployment rate among educated youth in Jammu and Kashmir has touched new heights and a large number of highly qualified unemployed educated youth choose sheep farming instead of looking for jobs for years both in the private and government sector. They want to stand on their own feet in order to lead peaceful and prosperous lives. Many educated youth engaged in sheep farming have left private jobs and even some government jobs and they have become employers instead of job seekers. The educated youth who have selected sheep farming under proper guidance and counseling by experts and counsellors of the sheep husbandry department are very hopeful due to their prosperous and successful venture in sheep farming. They became an inspiration and set examples for the unemployed educated youth in their vicinity. For the promotion of sheep farming, the government of India has launched many youth welfare intensive schemes and one among them is the integrated sheep Development Scheme (ISDS) for the promotion of sheep farming for many constructive purposes like employment generation, increasing income of people, and production of mutton, wool and manure. Many unemployed educated youth took advantage of the Integrated Sheep Development Scheme (ISDS) scheme and set up sheep units with a good subsidy from the government that yielded good results. Setting up hundreds of sheep units by the beneficiaries’ under the scheme across the state has generated many employment opportunities for the unemployed youth and people directly or indirectly. The problem of unemployment rate has been reduced to some extent that brings a sigh of relief to the unemployed youth and people. It also increased mutton, wool, manure production in the valley and reduced sheep imports from other states. The Jammu and Kashmir government has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the New Zealand government for integrated growth of sheep farming. The main aim is to promote sheep farming at a larger level. The adoption of new imported technologies for sheep farming enhanced good production and productivity in the sheep farming sector. The sheep husbandry department is at the forefront in providing financial assistance and other incentives with good subsidies for establishment of sheep and goat units. It also provides imported crossbred Australian merino sheep, quality fodder and fodder making machines, doorstep health care and breeding services, Shearing machine, Genset, shearing accessories and spares to the beneficiaries’ under various schemes. Despite all facilities available to our unemployed educated youth for setting sheep farming units, the unemployment rate among educated youth in Jammu and Kashmir is still very high across India and the state is still partly dependent on mutton imports from other states of India.
Shifting of youth towards the sheep farming sector is not as much as the sheep farming sector demands because educated youth of the valley face many challenges for setting up sheep farms. Earlier, the sheep farming was confined to the particular caste called shepherds (locally Chopans) who were socially, educationally and economically underprivileged communities. It was thriving very well but unfortunately, due to westernization and urbanization, the majority of shepherd community people in Kashmir valley left the practice of sheep farming as they considered it a lowest tier of job in the modern society. Due to the same reason, the majority of young educated youth of other castes also hesitate in taking the job of sheep farming in contemporary times. They have the misunderstanding that establishing sheep farming units in society may create social problems in the future. Some parents of educated youth are very adamant and deny sheep farming for their sons by keeping in view their educational qualifications. It is pertinent to mention here that a civil engineer Saima Shafi from Safa Kadal area of old Srinagar city has also chosen modern pottery work. She is trying to take the Kashmiri pottery to new heights by her constructive ideas. She succeeded in her pottery business venture. Saima Shafi called Kral Koor is the real example for the unemployed educated youth of the valley. Lack of training centers for training unemployed youth and farmers about advantages of sheep farming is another challenge. Due to lack of proper awareness, guidance and counseling, the unemployed educated youth do not take up sheep farming. Sudden outbreak of diseases like foot and mouth disease to the sheep causes great loss to the sheep farmers and many sheep farmers have to close their sheep units. Delay in vaccination and high cost of medicines and untimely unprecedented snow and heavy rains bring death and destruction to the livestock. Fodder shortage during unfavorable environmental conditions also adds to the woes of sheep farmers. Lack of qualified vets and non-availability of veterinary doctors in the summer season for monitoring sheep in highland pastures like Doodhpathri,Tosamaidan etc. are other challenges that sheep farmers face. The sheep farming in Jammu and Kashmir indeed has a great potential and it can absorb thousands of unemployed educated youth and people and resolve the burning and rising problem of unemployment to some extent and will boost the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. The establishment of training centers, conducting of awareness, guidance and counselling programs will change the attitude of educated unemployed youth towards the sheep farming sector. Free vaccination and veterinary services, availability of qualified vets and doctors by the sheep husbandry department in higher pasturelands will save thousands of sheep from diseases and deaths. The government is always supporting and creating a good environment for the integrated growth of the sheep farming sector in Jammu and Kashmir. They want to provide a major fillip to the sheep farming sector by providing all kinds of facilities to the sheep farmers. It is high time for the educated unemployed youth to come forward and establish sheep units under the proper support, guidance and counseling of experts of the sheep husbandry department that will yield immense sweet fruits for the welfare and prosperity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
(The author is a teacher at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah. Views are his own)
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