Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 16: Dr RS Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (AMUL), said educated youth entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir have huge opportunities in the food and dairy sector.
The Indian food and dairy sector is valued at Rs 40 lakh crores, out of which around Rs 4 Lakh crores are from the organized sector and Jammu and Kashmir contribute to around 2- 3 per cent. Dr Sodhi also said that around one-third of the dairy sector is organized.
Addressing a webinar on ‘FICCI Youth Entrepreneurship and Industry Connect’, organized by the FICCI J&K State Council, Dr Sodhi said that to exploit the potential that the sector can offer, the educated entrepreneurs can opt for breeding of calves as crossbred cows have huge marketability; establish cattle feed farms, or even manufacture small milking machines. Entrepreneurs looking at opportunities in the dairy sector lack the training and expertise in the absence of training institutes. Establishing a training school or institution too is something that can be explored by them, he said.
Dr Sodhi implored young entrepreneurs to go for modern technology, locally sourced ingredients, good packaging, and good quality at affordable prices.
“There are several schemes available from the Animal Husbandry Department and Ministry of Food Processing. Maximum number of subsidies available in the dairy sector is in J&K”, he informed.
The area of concern, according to Dr Sodhi, however, is that J&K is largely dependent on other states for a lot of milk and milk products. “Whatever milk is produced in rural J&K does not reach its urban counterparts. Lack of market connectivity and absence of correct pricing are the main issues that contribute to the same,” he further added.
Speaking at the webinar, Mehmood Ahmed Shah, Director Industries Kashmir, said, “We must focus on the factor for chilling of milk which will enable rapid cooling of milk.” “Milk production during winters declines. We haven’t yet been able to address this issue,” he added.
Irfan Ahmed Guju, Chairman, FICCI J&K Council and Managing Director, IA Multi Venture Private Limited, GM Dhar, Director JKEDI, Srinagar, Dr Jabir Ali, Professor, IIM Jammu and Farooq Ahmed Najar, HR and Admin Head, J&KMPCL (Milk Federation) also expressed their views during the webinar.
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