Srinagar, July 10: Jammu and Kashmir government has prepared a project for poultry development to give boost to rural economy and generate avenues of employment in the state. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed yesterday approved the project to be executed with the support from National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for tapping vast market in the state.

The NCDC will provide a loan component of 70 per cent for the project while rest forms subsidy under the scheme. Addressing a high level meeting here to decide measures for promotion of poultry sector, Sayeed said till the NCDC scheme became operational, the state government would take it up on experimental basis to promote poultry farming.

To begin with, 30 poultry cooperatives would be set up -- 10 each in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

The Chief Minister said government would arrange loans and provide subsidy for the purpose and private sector would be involved to develop the field. He also approved concept paper on policy declaration for promotion and development of poultry in the state under the cooperative fold to produce 50 lakh poultry birds every year with a financial turnover of Rs 300 crore.

The scheme would generate employment opportunities for one lakh persons and the entire state would be declared as a poultry park for achieving optimum results, he added.

Bureau Report