The Jammu & Kashmir government has set an ambitious target to expand milk processing capacity from the current 4% to 20%, aiming to significantly boost value addition and improve farmer returns, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said. This expansion will be driven through a mega dairy infrastructure development initiative, designed to strengthen the region’s dairy value chain and reduce inefficiencies in milk handling and processing. (Cross Town News)
The move comes in response to demands from milk cooperative societies and dairy farmers, who highlighted issues around procurement pricing, limited market access, and gaps in logistics and infrastructure. The government has emphasized stronger coordination between the Animal Husbandry and Cooperative departments to ensure timely support and improved ground-level facilitation for dairy stakeholders.
Officials also stressed the need to expand cooperative networks, improve access to credit, and enhance marketing channels to make the sector more viable and farmer-centric. The planned increase in processing capacity is expected to unlock higher value realization, reduce wastage, and create better income opportunities for dairy farmers across the Union Territory.
The initiative signals a strategic shift from raw milk production to value-added dairy processing, positioning J&K to build a more resilient, market-linked, and income-driven dairy ecosystem in the coming years.
Source: Dairynews7x7 27 April, 2026 Read full story here
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