Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 1: Tribal Affairs Department (TAD) and Central Wool Development Board (CWDB) have finalised a project aimed at benefitting nearly 30,000 tribal sheep-farming families over a period of three years by providing skilling, financial assistance, infrastructure and marketing support.
Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and Executive Director, CWDB finalised the project components after detailed deliberations. Secretary in Tribal Affairs Deptt, Harun Malik, Director Tribal Affairs, Mushir Ahmed Mirza, Jt Director Planning, Shama un Ahmed, Deputy Director TRI, Dr Abdul Khabir, Deputy Director TAD Kashmir Dilshada Akhter and senior officers from deptt and Central Board were present in the meeting.
The proposal of Tribal Affairs Deptt being supported by the CWDB includes establishment of two Common Facility Centres (CFC) at an estimated cost of Rs 10 cr. One CFC each in Jammu and Kashmir provinces will be equipped with state-of-the-art of the machinery for wool sorting, processing, grading and packaging.
TAD is rolling out plan to train nearly 30,000 tribal sheep farmers in mechanised sheep shearing which will lead to increase in wool production, improvement in quality of wool and reduced cost of shearing. Mechanical shearing units worth Rs 2 Cr have been included in the project which will be provided to tribal Farmer groups. Each group will be provided machinery up to Rs 3 lakh.
Establishment of Wool Mandis at three locations and more than 40 centres for wool collections and transit support have been approved under the project. Other components include the market intervention and support scheme as well as development of portal for expanding wool sale network.
Dr Shahid Choudhary, in a detailed presentation shared the huge potential of tribal wool as sheep population of nearly 25 Lakh migrating to highland pastures and in absence of value addition and marketing facilities the tribal farmers do not receive attractive returns. Interventions under the project will provide massive opportunities for sale of wool and wool products with direct benefit to the sheep breeders.
Executive Director, CWDB, Ministry of Textiles along with Technical Director Anurag Purohit briefed about collaboration between the board and J&K tribal affairs department for effective implementation of the project to cover maximum tribal sheep farmers and specifically the migratory population to improve their economic status. Specific support is being extended for marketing support and value addition.
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