Budget 2023-24: Rs 3,156 Crore Allocates To J&K's Agricultural And Allied Sectors

On Friday, the government of Jammu and Kashmir announced that it has allocated Rs 3156 crore in the Budget 2023-24 to establish a beneficial environment for transforming the agriculture and allied sectors to increase the income of farmers, ensure food security, and accelerate the economic growth of the Union Territory. 

According to an official statement, a comprehensive plan for agriculture development will be launched, comprising 29 proposed projects with a budget of Rs 5012 crore over the next five years. 

The statement further noted that this innovative initiative will create employment opportunities for an additional 2,87,910 people in agriculture, horticulture, and allied sectors, while also generating 18,861 new business enterprises over the next five years.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir is taking measures to support farmers in storing their produce more effectively, thereby enabling them to receive better returns. Specifically, they are creating 67,000 metric tons of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage capacity. 

Additionally, the government is encouraging private entities to establish CA facilities to decrease post-harvest losses, enhance the shelf life of agricultural and horticultural products, and alleviate the issue of distressed crop sales by farmers.

To boost agriculture and horticulture production and improve crop quality, the government has implemented various tangible actions, with a particular emphasis on enhancing post-harvest management infrastructure, especially in the private sector.

Furthermore, the Jammu and Kashmir government has launched the "Promotion of Beekeeping" project, worth Rs. 46.65 crores, to triple honey production over the next five years.

The project aims to establish 20 Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) to expand pollination facilities and monitor and trace beekeeping activities through GI labs.

Additionally, a dedicated center of excellence will be established in Jammu and Kashmir for capacity building, post-harvest management, and ensuring constancy in beekeeping practices. The project also envisions improving the bee sector's efficiency and promoting the value addition of honey by focusing on the growth of native honey bee species.

The government of UT has approved a project worth Rs. 176 crores to enhance fish farming and make it a more lucrative sector. This project entails several measures such as importing genetically improved fish seed, upgrading existing hatcheries and fish-rearing units and introducing species diversity in aquaculture through research and development. 

The project also aims to use modern technologies like RAS and Biofloc to commercialize trout and carp fish production. It is estimated that the project will result in a doubling of trout and carp production over the next 5 years.

Dairy farming is a vital aspect of livestock husbandry and serves as a significant contributor to agricultural income in Jammu and Kashmir. It also acts as a driving force for growth in the allied sectors. The dairy industry is expected to witness significant growth in the coming five years, with milk production projected to increase from 25 Lakh MTs to 45 Lakh MTs.

This growth will be facilitated by a series of measures, such as expanding breeding coverage and enhancing the productivity of each animal.   

The Dairy under the HADP project has identified increasing per-animal productivity from 2400 to 4300 liters as a crucial objective. To achieve this goal, the project will implement various interventions, such as expanding the number of Artificial Insemination (AI) centers from 1389 to 2189.

-Greater Kashmir 

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