Over the last decade there has been a tremendous growth in the poultry industry in the Division both in the Govt. and Private sectors. Poultry farming has come up in a big way and has given employment to number of people and raised the economic status of farmers. The Department is running two Poultry Projects one each at Hariparbath - Srinagar and Mattan - Anantnag, one Broiler Project at Hariparbath and one Duck Breeding Farm at Sumbal under Integrated Poultry Development Programme with the prime objective of :-

• Production of quality day old chicks at the project for sale to poultry farmers.

• Supply of chicks to various poultry organizations in the Kashmir Division for further distribution among the progressive farmers after attaining the age of 2-3 months .

• Providing necessary inputs and training to the progressive farmers for setting up of broiler units.

• Providing marketing support to the poultry farmers for sale of poultry birds.

With the concerted efforts of the Department, about 17% of the poultry population has been improved so far. The Poultry Population as per 2003 livestock census has been recorded as 55.68 lakhs in the state, out of which 29.71 lakhs are in Kashmir Division including 4.94 lacs of improved variety. A full fledged Poultry Marketing Division is also functional which channelises a part of the produce of private poultry farmers thereby making the commodities available to the common people at the rates below than the open market. The Poultry Nutrition Laboratory at Hariparbath is regularly carrying out proximate analysis of poultry feed / poultry feed ingredients and maintains the quality control on the feed produced and supplied to Government farms/farmers

The introduction of improved varieties of eggers and broilers by the Department through Poultry Development Programme has created an active interest among the masses. This is substantiated from the fact that during 2006-07, 1350 organized private poultry farms (Broiler type) were functional in the valley producing about 41.50 lakh broilers per year. In addition to this backyard poultry farming is popular in rural areas and almost all rural households keep 15 to 20 birds on an average both for meat as well as for egg purposes. The number of organized private poultry farms in Kashmir Division is given in Table below.

The Department is running a prestigious research Project “Kashmir Commercial Layer” for evolving of a hybrid bird with local genetic material suited to the agro-climatic conditions of the Valley. This bird is completing stabilization in the year 2007-08, when it will be available for propagation to different regions of the Valley and Ladakh on large scale. This bird is expected to have higher egg production capacity and disease resistance. The Department is offering a capsule course of 15 days on commercial broiler farming to the entrepreneurs at Poultry Project Hariparbath to encourage the unemployed youth to gain employment through poultry farming. Under the Revolving Fund Scheme the Department is supplying feed to the farmers at no profit no loss basis. The Department has got a Modern Hatchery at Broiler Project Hariparbath where day old chicks are produced from the eggs available from the parent stock maintained at Poultry Project Hariparbath/Mattan and Broiler Project Hariparbath and distributed among the farmers.

In the recent years the Government of India has approved the Project Proposals of the State Government for Strengthening of Poultry Project Mattan, Poultry Farm Athwajan, Poultry Breeding Farm Kargil and Poultry Project Hariparbath under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Assistance to State Poultry Farms” at an estimated cost of Rs. 85.00 lacs for each Project/Farm.

The Poultry Development Organization in the Districts provide necessary technical guidance, health cover, vaccination facilities to the private poultry farmers besides taking up the rearing of the layer type birds at Government farms for distribution among the farmers under the beneficiary oriented / back yard poultry schemes.

The facilities under Poultry Development Programme are augmented by way of funds received by the Department under CSS, “Assistance to State Poultry Farms”, State/District Sector Scheme “Poultry Development Programme”.

List of Poultry Projects/Farms, Poultry Demonstration Centres and other Poultry Institutions of Kashmir Division

 (IA) = Internal adjustment of staff)