Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Feb 25: In a significant push to strengthen the livestock and agriculture sectors, Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Department, Javid Ahmad Dar, on Tuesday inaugurated the modernised Cattle Feed Plant at Bari Brahmana and the newly developed Wool Trade Mandi at Kartholi in Samba district.
MLA Vijaypur, Chander Prakash Ganga, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Agriculture Production Department, Dr Ashish Chandra Verma, Director Agriculture Jammu Anil Gupta, Director Animal Husbandry Jammu Sanjay Gupta, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Sheep Husbandry Jammu and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
The Minister was informed that the modernization and upgradation of the Cattle Feed Plant has been executed by the Jammu and Kashmir Agro Industries Development Corporation Limited at a project cost of Rs 499 lakh.
The plant has been upgraded with a fully automatic PLC-based automation system enabling centralized process control, automatic batching and micro-dosing systems for precise ingredient proportioning. It also features online monitoring of moisture, temperature and production flow, ensuring improved efficiency and quality control.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that with controlled formulation technology, the plant now operates on scientific feed manufacturing principles, ensuring high precision within minimal tolerance limits. He stated that the modernization will substantially enhance the productivity, operational efficiency and quality assurance standards.
Javid Dar said such initiatives would provide farmers easy access to high-quality cattle feed, leading to better livestock health and increased milk production. He reiterated the government’s commitment towards equipping the farming community with modern infrastructure and necessary facilities to strengthen the livestock and agriculture sectors.
The Minister also inaugurated the Wool Trade Mandi at Kartholi, developed under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) at a cost of Rs 1 crore. He said the Mandi would provide farmers and sheep rearers a dedicated marketing platform to secure remunerative prices for their wool and related products.
Meanwhile, the Minister inaugurated a state-of-the-art Pesticide Testing Laboratory and a Common Facilitation Centre (CFC) for Wool in Kathua district.
He also inspected the Fish and Poultry Feed Plant and the Rinderpest Checkpost at Lakhanpur.
MLA Kathua, Dr Bharat Bhushan, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Agriculture Production Department, Dr Ashish Chandra Verma, Deputy Commissioner Kathua Rajesh Sharma, Director Agriculture Jammu Anil Gupta, Director Animal Husbandry Jammu Sanjay Gupta, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Sheep Husbandry Jammu and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
The Minister said the Pesticide Testing Laboratory has been established at an estimated cost of Rs 481.25 lakh under NABARD funding. It is the second such facility in Jammu division and the third in the Union Territory.
He said the laboratory will strengthen the enforcement mechanisms by detecting spurious pesticides, verifying active ingredient composition and ensuring formulations remain within prescribed safety limits. “This facility will safeguard the farmers from substandard inputs and enhance crop productivity in the region,” he stated.
Inaugurating the Common Facilitation Centre for Wool, the Minister said Kathua district has more than five lakh sheep and goats, indicating vast potential in the wool sector. The centre will support sheep and goat rearers through improved processing, value addition and better market linkage.
At Lakhanpur Rinderpest Checkpost, he instructed the officials to maintain strict surveillance on livestock and poultry entering the Union Territory from outside. “There must be no compromise on the health parameters fixed by the department,” he said, directing thorough checking of poultry birds and cattle to prevent disease transmission.
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