Srinagar, Aug 9: The Kashmir Poultry Farmers has issued a SOS to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, stating that the Union Territory’s poultry industry is on the verge of collapse, threatening the livelihoods of over 5.5 lakh people, endangering public health, and dismantling a once self-reliant food supply chain.
In a memorandum, the Kashmir Valley Poultry Farmers Association said the once-thriving sector, which not long ago met 80–85 percent of J&K’s poultry demand, has now collapsed to a mere 15–20 percent production. This sharp decline, they said, is the result of a combination of policy missteps, regulatory dismantling, and unchecked imports of low-grade, outdated poultry products from outside the UT.
The memorandum accuses outside suppliers of flooding J&K with outdated, low-cost dressed chicken, often transported over long distances without proper cold chain facilities, inspection protocols, or hygiene checks. Farmers claim much of this meat is of questionable quality and, in some cases, comes from aged layers fit only for dog food. Without labeling, source verification, or shelf-life disclosure, they warn, unsuspecting consumers are at risk of food poisoning, antibiotic resistance, and zoonotic diseases.
“The abolition of the Rs. 9/kg Lakhanpur toll tax, which once served as both a regulatory and protective mechanism for local producers, has, they said, opened the floodgates to cheap mass-produced poultry from other states. This policy change has triggered severe price undercutting, making it impossible for J&K’s poultry farms—many set up with bank loans under government schemes—to survive.”
The farmers also raised environmental concerns, pointing to the carbon emissions, packaging waste, and biohazard risks associated with long-distance poultry transport.
The association has urged the Chief Minister to impose an immediate ban on outdated or unhygienic dressed chicken imports into J&K, enforce mandatory FSSAI certification, hygiene inspections, and cold chain compliance for all incoming poultry products, and form a UT-level task force comprising officials from the Food Safety Department, Animal Husbandry, Consumer Affairs, and poultry industry representatives to monitor imports. They have also proposed the introduction of an “Environmental and Bio-Security Cess” equivalent to the abolished Lakhanpur toll to restore competitive parity for local farmers, with the revenue reinvested in veterinary infrastructure, subsidies for poultry infrastructure, and enforcement mechanisms.
In addition, the association has sought a special relief package for struggling farmers, including loan moratoriums, restructuring, and interest subvention, as well as urgent stakeholder consultations to frame a long-term revival plan.
The memorandum also takes strong exception to government plans to allot large tracts of land to outside integrators or “big fishes” while the local industry is on the verge of collapse. It says the “foremost duty of the government is to rebuild and correct the local industry, and warns that if outsiders are to be encouraged for unknown reasons, then the government should first take over the assets of J\&K poultry farms, liquidate their loans, and provide government jobs to the displaced farmers and workers.”
Association president Ghulam Muhammad Bhat said that without immediate and decisive action, the poultry sector in Kashmir will collapse completely, wiping out local capacity and forcing permanent dependence on external supplies. He argued that with government backing through land allotments, facilities, hatcheries, feed mills, dressing plants, and market support, J&K could achieve full self-reliance in poultry production while creating large-scale employment for educated youth.
“The poultry sector stands at a critical juncture. Delay will not only destroy livelihoods but also compromise the health of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. The time to act is now,” the memorandum warns.
Source- greaterkashmir
