Impact Of Curfew, Protests In Kashmir:
Poultry Farms In Punjab Hit
By Bilal Hussain
20 August, 2010
Kashmir Times
Unabated curfew and protests from over past two months have not only resulted in shortage of poultry and mutton products in Valley but also severely shaken the poultry farming outside Kashmir particularly in Punjab and Haryana.
The ripples of curfew and protests could be felt outside the state as poultry farmers in Punjab have severely got hit by the continuing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) which has hampered imports of their products to the valley.
According to an estimate, poultry traders in Punjab supply over half a million eggs and 40,000 to 50,000 chickens per day to meet the demand within the J&K. These supplies cost nearly 50 million rupees per day. Nearly 90 per cent of the poultry farmers of the border belt of the Punjab are dependent on the supply to J&K, as there is huge demand of poultry products throughout the year in the state.
If reports are to be believed then the poultry farmers in the border area of Punjab say that if curfew and protests will continue longer it will ruin poultry farming in Punjab as it is heavily dependant on the demand from Valley.
There are reports that poultry farmers in Punjab, which suffered heavy losses and in some case to the extent of closures following the curfew and protests in Kashmir. Earlier, poultry farmers in Punjab had faced problem in the form of heavy tax duties imposed by J&K government.
The strike badly affected the imports to the Valley. "On an average over 100 trucks daily come to the Valley with poultry products, vegetables and fruits," said Nisar Ahmad a local transporter, it is “a crisis situation for Kashmir” now.
While the annual figures of the quantity of mutton consumed in the Valley, including Ladakh, is at 340.32 Lakh Kilograms. Of these, 210 lakh kilograms were imported from various Indian states while the remaining 130.32 lakh kilograms come from the local market. “It is high time to take several measures to discourage the imports and at the same time to increase production locally so as to achieve self sufficiency in the state,” said Mehraj Wani, an economic experts.
“Our state has the highest per capita meat consumption in India and is therefore a potential meat market. But we haven’t stressed on the local production as a result of which we have to import it from other states like Rajasthan, Punjab and many others, ” Wani said.
Kashmir is the biggest mutton consumer in India. Estimates put the quantum of annual imports of mutton, milk and poultry to Rs 16000 crore. About 5000 sheep and goats are consumed daily in the valley.
Echoing his words, Wajahat Ahmad, a businessman said: "Youth need to come forward and venture in sectors like mutton, milk and poultry. There is ample scope for them to grow in these sectors."
Markets in the Valley, barring few days, have remained closed for past over two months in protest against killings of 58 people, mostly teenagers by troopers and injuries to hundreds of civilians in Kashmir.
