Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 12: Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Abdul Ghani Kohli convened a meeting to review the functioning of poultry sector in Jammu Division here today.
Director Animal Husbandry, Dr S L Bhagat, Joint Director Poultry Jammu, Dr Kewal Krishan Bhardwaj, OSD Ashok Sharma, all Deputy Directors working in Poultry Organi-zation, Poultry Development Officer, Chief Animal Husbandry Officers of all districts, besides staff members attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the thrust was laid to develop high-tech infrastructure so that the import of poultry and poultry products is curtailed to a larger extent.
The Minister directed the Chief Animal Husbandry Officers of all districts in Jammu province to establish a Model Poultry Village in each constituency in consultation with the local MLA. He said that the step will generate employment opportunities and increase the local production in poultry sector.
The Minister was informed that Jammu division produces 21.7crore table eggs and around 400 lakh kg of poultry meat annually. Inspite of this, the State has to import poultry products worth Rs 735 crore of which product worth Rs 263 crore are retained in Jammu division. The meeting deliberated upon the measures to curtail the import of poultry products to check the outflow of State exchequer.
To offset the imports within Jammu division, the Minister was informed that there is a need of establishing new layer farms and broiler farms. In addition to this, there is also requirement of establishing new hatcheries of layers and broiler birds.
It was informed that there is a scope for private investment worth Rs 3100 crore in the division for establishing these farms and hatcheries which will in long term curtail the imports.
The Minister exhorted upon the officers to explore possibilities of running hatcheries in district on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and asked the Director Animal Husbandry to constitute a committee and depute one nodal officer which will look into the modalities of this private public venture.
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