Kashmir Poultry Industry on the Brink of Collapse, Farmers Petition CM

SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Poultry Farmers Association has sounded an urgent alarm to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, warning that the Union Territory’s poultry sector is facing a severe crisis that threatens the livelihoods of over 5.5 lakh people, endangers public health, and risks dismantling a once self-reliant food supply chain.

In a memorandum submitted to the government, the association said the poultry industry, which previously met 80 to 85 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s poultry demand, has plummeted to just 15 to 20 per cent production levels. This sharp decline is attributed to a combination of flawed policies, regulatory rollbacks, and unchecked imports of low-quality, outdated poultry products from outside the UT.

The memorandum accuses outside suppliers of flooding the region with cheap, low-grade dressed chicken, often transported over long distances without proper cold chain facilities, inspection, or hygiene compliance. Many consignments reportedly consist of aged birds fit only for animal feed. The lack of labelling, source verification, and shelf-life disclosure poses significant risks of food poisoning, antibiotic resistance, and zoonotic diseases for unsuspecting consumers.

Farmers highlighted that the abolition of the Rs 9/kg Lakhanpur toll tax — which acted as both a regulatory and protective barrier for local producers — has opened the floodgates to cheap mass-produced poultry from other states. This policy change has triggered severe price undercutting, making it impossible for locally run poultry farms, many financed through government-backed loans, to survive.

Environmental concerns were also raised, citing the carbon emissions, packaging waste, and biohazard risks associated with the long-distance transport of poultry products.

To save the industry, the association urged the Chief Minister to immediately ban the import of outdated or unhygienic dressed chicken, enforce mandatory FSSAI certification, hygiene inspections, and cold chain compliance for all poultry imports. They also recommended forming a UT-level task force including officials from the Food Safety Department, Animal Husbandry, Consumer Affairs, and poultry stakeholders to monitor and regulate imports.

Additionally, the farmers proposed reinstating an “Environmental and Bio-Security Cess” equivalent to the abolished Lakhanpur toll, with revenues directed toward veterinary infrastructure, subsidies for poultry facilities, and enforcement mechanisms.

The memorandum called for a special relief package for struggling farmers, including loan moratoriums, restructuring options, and interest subvention, along with urgent stakeholder consultations to frame a sustainable revival strategy.

Strong objections were voiced against government plans to allocate large tracts of land to outside integrators while the local poultry industry collapses. The association urged the government to prioritise rebuilding the indigenous sector and warned that if outside players are encouraged, then the state should first take over local farms’ assets, clear their debts, and provide jobs for displaced farmers and workers.

“The poultry sector stands at a critical juncture. Delay will not only destroy livelihoods but also compromise the health of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The time to act is now,” the memorandum concluded.

On April 10, the Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) also raised the alarm on the poultry crisis, urging swift government action to prevent the sector’s collapse.

In a joint meeting with the Kashmir Valley Poultry Farmers Association (KVPFA), FCIK President Shahid Kamili stressed that the crisis threatens thousands of livelihoods and regional food security.

Farmers pointed to the removal of the Lakhanpur toll post and the abolition of the poultry import tax as key factors devastating the local industry. The toll tax previously provided economic protection, enabling local producers to compete with cheaper imports. Since its removal, local production has fallen from 85 per cent to a mere 20 per cent of consumption.

Other challenges include high production costs, non-functional hatcheries and feed mills, harsh climatic conditions causing high mortality rates, and the costly procurement of day-old chicks from South India due to lack of local hatcheries.

Farmers also expressed concerns over the government allowing imports of cheap frozen chicken, which not only threatens local producers but poses public health risks due to poor hygiene standards.

FCIK assured the poultry farmers that it would push the government to form an expert committee for a full review of the sector and called for a ban on low-quality frozen meat imports. It also demanded reinstatement of a cess on poultry imports to safeguard local jobs and industry.