Jammu and Kashmir govt dispels milk dumping report as 'attention grabbing' tactic

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday dispelled some media reports which said the dairy farmers in the Valley were dumping their milk into drains for want of adequate market.

Navin Choudhary, principal secretary agriculture production and farmers welfare department animal told IANS, "That was just an incident in isolation. This was done to grab attention.

"We have reached every major milk producer in Kashmir and there is no truth in the rumour that dairy farmers are finding it difficult to sell their produce".

Choudhary said J&K is going to be milk surplus UT by 2023.

"We are ensuring that various purchasers like Amul, etc. continue to impart value addition to our milk production.

"Amul is increasing its take off capacity by one lakh litres. Similarly, other buyers are also increasing their take off capacity.

"Value addition by way of conversion into cheese, butter, milk powder and Ghee is being done regularly so that our produce is adequately marketed," the principal secretary said.

He also said that the incident of throwing their milk produce into drains was reported from one place in Ganderbal district while the maximum production of milk comes from south Kashmir Pulwama district in the Valley.

"If our dairy farmers are not finding an adequate market in Pulwama, which is the major milk producing district in the Valley, how come we have no complaints from that district?" the top official said.

He assured every major milk producer in not only the Valley, but the entire J&K that the government is doing everything needed to provide technical support, guidance and financial assistance, etc., to the farmers interested in dairy and other allied agricultural activities.