ECONOMICS OF SHEEP AND POULTRY IN KASHMIR VALLEY: PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIESHakim Shabir Ahmad, B.A. Bhat and Sajad A. SarafAbstract In the recent times people in Kashmir Valley are shying away from keeping sheep and poultry owing to risk and labourious work involved with this trade, but it has been proved that these two enterprises are profitably viable and remunerative. Moreover the domestic supply of sheep and poultry is insufficient as well as inadequate to cater to the domestic demand despite having worlds best meadows and pastures. Against this backdrop a study on economics of sheep and poultry in Kashmir Valley was undertaken. The findings of the study revealed that these two enterprises are profitable and offers ample scope for employment generation in Kashmir Valley. The economic analysis in terms of cost and return, Benefit-cost ratio indicated that the sheep and poultry farming is economically viable. Benefit-cost ratio in sheep was found out to be 1.30:1 and in poultry it was computed as 1.26:1. Marketing of sheep and poultry has been largely in the hands of private enterprises. Three marketing channels each were found in sheep and poultry sector. Among sheep sector channel no. III (Producer-Retailer-Consumer) was having highest producers share in consumers rupee (82.85 per cent) and highest index of marketing efficiency (5.83). In poultry channel no. I (Producer- Retailer-Consumer) was having highest producers share in consumers rupee (76.47 per cent) and highest index of marketing efficiency (4.25). Production and marketing led constraints were also studied.
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