Calls for urgent policy support, protection measures, infra development to restore self-sufficiency, safeguard public health
SRINAGAR: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has expressed deep anguish over the steady and avoidable decline of Kashmir’s poultry industry—an industry that once stood as a model of import substitution, rural enterprise and self-reliance.
FCIK, in a statement issued here, observed that till 2014, Kashmir had achieved an unprecedented level of poultry production, meeting nearly 85% of local chicken consumption. This was not accidental but the direct outcome of well-calibrated government interventions.
“The most decisive intervention was the government’s decision to bring imported poultry under toll tax, thereby restoring competitiveness for local producers while generating revenue for the public exchequer,” FCIK observed, adding that complementing this decision by the abolition of tax on the import of one-day-old chicks added to the comfort level of local units.
FCIK regretted that post-2014, this support system was gradually dismantled, one intervention after another, with little seriousness towards consolidating near self-sufficiency and building a robust poultry value chain. Following the implementation of GST in 2017 and the consequent abolition of toll and entry taxes, Kashmir’s poultry markets were flooded with outside imports.
“Local producers—stripped of policy protection, safety nets and institutional backing—were forced into direct and unequal competition with large outside suppliers,” FCIK stated, adding that the outcome was both predictable and painful, as local market share declined sharply while imported poultry steadily took over.
FCIK noted that after the re-organisation in 2019, the situation worsened further, and the market reached its most alarming stage when dressed chicken was allowed into the Valley, often from unknown and unverified sources.
“This continued for years until the current year, when the administration finally woke up to the seriousness of the public health implications,” FCIK stated, adding that it was then revealed that a large portion of dressed chicken entering Kashmir was unhygienic, sourced from questionable origins, and allegedly even derived from dead birds, with no traceable slaughtering, processing or certification mechanism.
FCIK, however, acknowledged that the present dispensation intervened strongly to arrest this dangerous practice once the gravity of the matter surfaced.
FCIK observed that had policy support continued and local infrastructure been strengthened over years, Kashmir would not only have achieved 100% self-sufficiency in poultry, but could have been on the verge of producing surplus for processing and exports.
Instead, FCIK stated, the sector was allowed to reverse into dependence—wiping out years of progress and discouraging thousands of hardworking poultry producers.
FCIK informed that today the poultry ecosystem comprises more than 7,000 poultry producers across 10 districts, sustaining rural livelihoods and employment across allied activities such as feed supply, transport, veterinary services, and local trading networks.
FCIK welcomed the Chief Minister’s emphasis in the recent budget speech on poultry development—especially new farms, interventions for egg production and feed, and the linkage of the sector with the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP).
However, FCIK appealed to the Chief Minister that revival must begin with existing poultry units, many of which are currently under severe stress due to policy paralysis and lack of timely interventions.
Calling for urgent action on revival of the poultry industry, FCIK demanded the immediate imposition of a cess on imported poultry, equivalent to the earlier toll/entry tax, along with a strict and permanent ban on dressed chicken to protect public health and restore competitiveness of local producers.It further called for insurance coverage for poultry farmers, credit flow at par with agricultural rates, establishment of local feed mills and hatcheries to reduce cost vulnerabilities, and interest subvention to offset rising production costs and prevent closures.
FCIK stated that the revised policy must include a structured mission aimed at regaining market share, creating surplus production, developing processing and cold-chain systems, achieving economies of scale and preparing Kashmir for export-grade processed poultry.
FCIK cautioned that if corrective action is delayed, Kashmir risks permanently losing a strategic allied agriculture sector that had once proven its potential.