Kathua, May 30:
Australian Taxal and Darper breed of sheep have been purchased for Rs 26 crore under the Samagra Krishi Vikas Yojana. 450 Taxal breed sheep have been quarantined in Khimbar of Kashmir and 235 sheep in Rajbagh of Kathua.
Their samples are being tested so that only disease-free sheep can be included in the sheep herd of Jammu and Kashmir. After quarantine, Dorper sheep will be kept for breeding at the sheep farm in Panthal. While Taxal will be bred at Khimbar farm itself. There is a plan to send the breed obtained from them to other sheep rearing centers for further breeding.
Steps are being taken under the Samagra Krishi Vikas Yojana to improve the quality of livestock in the state. Also give a new direction to the animal husbandry industry. In this series, 900 sheep are being imported for Jammu Kashmir from Australia, 8000 km away.
In the month of February, a team of experts from the state was also sent to Australia to examine the sheep. After which on 27 April, while a lot of Taxal breed sheep reached Khimbar in Kashmir for quarantine, on 13 May, 235 sheep of Darper breed were quarantined in Rajbagh, Kathua. The breeding of these sheep is going to promote the breeds that provide better and more meat in Jammu Kashmir.
The Jammu Kashmir government has purchased 450 Darper breed sheep for Jammu division and 450 Taxal sheep for Kashmir division. The next lot of remaining sheep for Jammu division will reach Jammu Kashmir in the month of August. This initiative can prove to be extremely beneficial for the cattle farmers of the state.