Ganderbal, Oct 9: The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Poultry at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) organised a training-cum-distribution programme for tribal farmers at Diginibal, Ganderbal, under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST), also known as the Tribal Sub Plan.
Forty tribal farmers, mostly women, participated in the programme. Each beneficiary received 10 improved-variety chicks along with poultry feed to promote backyard poultry farming, generate supplementary income, empower women and improve household nutrition.
Addressing the participants, Prof. Hilal Musadik Khan, Head, Division of Livestock Production and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-K, highlighted the importance of backyard poultry as a practical, low-input livelihood activity for tribal and rural households.
Prof. Azmat Alam Khan, Principal Investigator, AICRP on Poultry, was appreciated for planning and coordinating the programme and conducting Tribal Sub Plan outreach activities across various districts of Kashmir.
Prof. Islam-ud-Din Sheikh, Co-Principal Investigator, AICRP on Poultry, highlighted the economic potential of backyard poultry, particularly its role in enabling rural women to earn supplementary income through the sale of eggs and surplus birds.
Dr. Zulfqarul Haq, Co-Principal Investigator, AICRP on Poultry, emphasised the significance of the improved chick variety introduced under the programme, which was distributed among tribal beneficiaries for the first time.
The initiative aims to encourage backyard poultry farming as a livelihood option for tribal households while improving access to nutritious food and creating opportunities for additional income.
