Department of Sheep Husbandry Kashmir
has a separate wing of Agriculture meant for fodder
development out of its own resources to meet the requirement
of the departmental livestock at various Sheep Breeding
Farms. Moreover, the department is also engaged for
improving the fodder production of the farmers associated
with sheep & goat rearing. In this regard many initiatives
have been taken in the past under various centrally
sponsored schemes like RKVY,
ATMA, NLM and Feed & Fodder development. Various inputs have
been provided to the farmers which include distribution of
quality seed kits like Red Clover, Annual/Perennial Rye
Grass, Tall Fescue, White Clover, Hybrid Oats, Berseem etc.
and provision of machinery like chaff cutters, brush cutters
on subsidized rates.
During the
past few years the department has distributed Seed mini Kits
& Chaff Cutters (Hand/Power driven) to various
beneficiaries.
The
department has a total land availability of 3,000 Kanals for
fodder production and efforts are on to reclaim more and
more areas for fodder production to meet the requirement of
departmental farm animals. Since the stall feeding of farm
animals extends from 15th November to 15th April, the
department has to spend a large amount of budget on feed &
fodder requirement of livestock and the department makes all
efforts through its Agriculture Section to achieve
self-sufficiency in the fodder requirements. On an average
an adult farm sheep requires 2.25 quintals of fodder during
stall feeding and on an average the department requires
9,000-10,000 quintals of fodder annually. The department is
marching towards self-sufficiency as regards the production
of quality fodder. Presently the department grows the Rabi
crops of Oats and Rye Grass on about 2000 kanals and Kharief
Crops of M.P Charri (Sorghum) on the same area of land and
perennial crops of Rye grass & Clovers on about 1000 kanals
of land.
The annual production of fodder grasses of the department currently is about 5000 quintals. The major fodder production stations of the department are as follows:-
S.No | Name of the Farm/Location | District | Land put to Cultivation under Annual crop (Kanals) | Land put to Cultivation under Perennial crop (Kanals) | Total under Cultivation (Annual +Perennial) (Kanalas) |
1. | SBF Daksum | Anantnag | - | 400 | 400 |
2. | SBF Goabal | Ganderbal | 200 | - | 200 |
3. | SBF Kralpathri | Budgam | - | 242 | 242 |
4. | SBF Zawoora | Pulwama | 800 | - | 800 |
5. | SBF Kewa | Kulgam | 32 | 200 | 232 |
6. | SBF Poshnar | Kupwara | 700 | - | 700 |
7. | SBF Hardushiva | Baramulla | 70 | - | 70 |
8. | ARF Wussan | Baramulla | 35 | 50 | 85 |
9. | GF Arindardpora | Bandipora | 70 | - | 70 |
10. | Fodder Station Kunan | Bandipora | 10 | - | 10 |
11. | FF Tapper | Baramulla | 130 | - | 130 |
12. | FF Rambirpora | Anantnag | 90 | - | 90 |
13. | Fodder Station Zakura | Srinagar | 25 | - | 25 |
14. | Fodder Station Lar | Ganderbal | 25 | - | 25 |
15. | Fodder Station Haknar | Ganderbal | - | 28 | 28 |
16. | Fodder Station Rankipora | Budgam | 32.60 | - | 32.60 |
17. | FF Wanihama | Ganderbal | 205 | - | 205 |
18. | FS Ganeshpora/ Vailoo/ YK Pora | Anantnag | 40 | - | 40 |
Total | 2464.60 | 920 | 3384.60 |
* Staff associated with Agriculture Section: - The Agriculture staff associated with different agricultural/fodder development activities mainly comprise of Deputy Director Feed & Fodder, Agriculture Field Assistants, Agriculture Supervisors, Rakh overseer, Field men etc.
* Tractorization/Tilling of the land is done exclusively by three departmental tractors.
* Hay Production for the year 2020-21:- Total hay production for the year 2020-21 is 4681.73 quintals.