Local breeding push may end Kashmir’s dependence on imported mutton

Srinagar, Jan 6: In a major scientific and economic push to reduce Kashmir’s heavy dependence on imported mutton, the Department of Sheep Husbandry, Kashmir, has achieved a milestone by recovering 35 embryos from a single donor Texel sheep.

In practical terms, the breakthrough means Kashmir can now bridge the gap between demand and supply of mutton through local breeding rather than importing costly live Texel sheep from outside J&K.

Using Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT), the genetic material of one superior sheep can be multiplied into 30 to 35 lambs in a single breeding cycle.

This enables rapid expansion of high-yielding meat breeds within Kashmir, sharply increasing local mutton production and gradually reducing imports from other states.

Texel sheep, a Dutch breed originating from the island of Texel in the Netherlands, were introduced in Kashmir to strengthen meat production.

In early 2025, under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) with a budget of Rs 26 crore, J&K imported 450 Texel sheep from Australia for the Kashmir division, while Dorper sheep were brought in for Jammu.

The animals were quarantined and housed at a government farm in Ganderbal.

Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Director Sheep Husbandry, Kashmir, Dr Rafiq Ahmad Shah said the technology would directly benefit farmers and consumers.

“Earlier, we had to import Texel sheep from outside at a cost of around Rs 4.5 lakh per animal. With embryo transfer, the same superior Texel genetics can now be produced locally and made available for just a few thousand rupees to farmers,” he said.

Dr Shah said that the breakthrough had been achieved under the Embryo Transfer Technology programme using imported Multipurpose Merino and Double Muscled Muttonous Texel breeds.

According to officials, scientists recovered 168 embryos from 15 donor animals.

Dr Shah said that of these, 85 embryos were transferred into 54 recipient sheep, resulting in a conception rate of around 65 percent, significantly higher than the global average of 40 to 60 percent.

Full-blood Texel and Multipurpose Merino embryos have already been transferred into 39 recipient sheep across four progressive breeders in Kashmir, with 85 laparoscopic embryo transfer procedures completed successfully.

Officials said the results demonstrate that the technology has moved beyond laboratory trials and is now ready for wider field application.

An official associated with the project said the achievement was the outcome of close coordination between scientific teams and the administration.

He said that under the leadership of Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Shailendra Kumar, the department was encouraged to adopt modern biotechnology tools to strengthen traditional sectors like sheep husbandry.

He said the Financial Commissioner ensured the timely release of funds, reviewed progress personally, and removed administrative bottlenecks, allowing scientists to focus on outcomes.

Officials said one elite animal could now produce dozens of offspring simultaneously, compressing generations of breeding into a few years.

They said that this would significantly boost local mutton availability, stabilise prices, and improve the livelihoods of sheep-rearing families across Kashmir.

The department has also achieved nearly 50 percent success in cryopreservation and revival of embryos, leading to the creation of a germplasm bank.

The bank preserves elite genetics of exotic rams, indigenous breeds, and even deceased high-performing animals, providing long-term genetic security and protection against disease outbreaks or genetic loss.

For decades, genetic upgradation of sheep in Kashmir relied on costly imports, with individual animals priced between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh.

Under the new system, a single imported donor animal can generate embryos worth several crores over its productive life, sharply reducing public expenditure on imports while ensuring that superior animals are born and adapted to local climatic conditions.

Experts said the impact on mutton production could be substantial.

The Double Muscled Texel breed yields 40 to 50 kg of mutton, compared to 20 to 25 kg from local breeds, offering a potential income increase of 50 to 80 percent for farmers.

At scale, this could translate into hundreds of crores of rupees annually in additional rural income while easing Kashmir’s dependence on imported mutton.