Bandipora Women adopting sheep rearing as a source of income, livelihood
Bandipora, CNS,15-Feb: For Women Empowerment, there is hope from Bandipora. With the assistance of the welfare schemes announced by the government, women are contributing to the economy of the household by not only turning self sufficient but also providing job opportunity to others.
Sheep rearing make a valuable contribution to the weaker sections of the society by its multifaceted utility of producing wool, meat, skin, manure etc. Realizing this, many development activities including schemes for intensive sheep development in the state have been initiated.
Mumtaza Begum, a 33 year old college dropout and now a house maker from Sheikpal Watrina area of district Bandipora in early 2020 approached Sheep Husbandry Department Bandipora for a sheep unit in order to earn livelihood.
The department provided a 50 ewe sheep unit to Mumtaza under ISDS in the year 2020. Mumtaza, a shy introvert house maker not only transformed herself but the fate of her husband besides giving employment to two more men who work in her sheep farm.
“There are two men working in my farm on a monthly salary of 9000 each,” said Mumtaza. It was not however easy to break the set stereotype and centuries old male dominance to carve a sustainable livelihood for herself and her family, she added.
Starting with 50 sheep, Mumtaza now possesses more than 250 sheep. She not only earns livelihood for herself but for the family besides providing livelihood to two other families.
The department (Sheep Husbandry Department) has provided me every support whenever needed, she said. She is supported by her husband and is happy to have successfully taken up this opportunity. She appealed other women to reap full benefits of schemes kept available by the UT government of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bandipora with peculiar scenic beauty is located in the foothills of the snow-clad peaks of Harmukh overlooking the shores of Wullar Lake has a tremendous potential for the growth of sheep and allied agricultural activities. This district occupies an area of 398sqkm. Large scale efforts are seen growing day in and day out to further boost this sector.
Realizing the importance of being self-sufficient, another 28-yr-old lady Masrat Jan from Lawaypora area of Bandipora has adopted 100Eve unit.
Giving details she said she is happy to be an employer than an employee. “I am giving employment to three unemployed youth besides supporting my family economically”. She expressed her happiness and thanked UT Government, District Administration and sheep Husbandry department for providing her assistance in establishing the unit.
Masrat Jan appealed the unemployed youth to come forward and take benefit of different schemes provided by Government. She said to lower the unemployment rate youth has to change the mindset and engage themselves in different income generating units.
Giving details District Sheep Husbandry Officer Bandipora Dr Showkat said there are various Schemes provided by the department. “Under Integrated Sheep Development Scheme (ISDS), 10 ewe units are provided on 50% sharing basis i.e. 50% of the total unit contributed by beneficiary and rest 50% is central assistance”. The scheme is for schedule tribes only and thus comes under tribal sub plan (TSP).
He said the department provides shearing plants under ICDS comprising of shearing machine, Genset and shearing accessories/spares.
Under Centrally sponsored scheme, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Youjna (RKVY) has different components. Under one of the innovative components 25 ewe are issued to the beneficiary and the same are retrieved from 3rd year onwards in phased manner.
Under the Other component of the scheme known as backyard sheep farming 10 ewes are provided and an equivalent number of ewes are retrieved in a phased manner. Similarly Under the goat farming component of the scheme female goats are issued to the beneficiaries and retrieved in a phased manner.
In another Scheme, 25 sheep/goats are provided to the beneficiary at 50% subsidy cost. 100 sheep unit and 10 sheep units are provided under National Live Stock with financial support from the department.
The District Sheep Husbandry Bandipora has achieved a target of providing 07 number of Income Generating Sheep/shearing units already costing a total of rupees 10.50 lac.
A total number of 13 units (comprising 25ewes) among 13 youth have been provided under participatory mode costing Rs24 lac and under the 50% susidy mode the department has provided 39 unites among the beneficiaries which costs for rupees 78 lac.(CNS)
