Pulwama looks to regain egg self-sufficiency through backyard poultry initiative

Pulwama, Jul 01: Until a little over a decade ago, Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Payar village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, rarely had to buy eggs or chicken from the market. Besides cultivating paddy and rearing cattle, Mohammad maintained a flock of backyard chickens that provided his family with both food and a steady source of income. Every morning, the hens laid fresh eggs, which were either consumed at home or sold in the local market. During festivals, weddings and other occasions, fully grown birds fetched good prices, supplementing the family’s earnings. The birds required little investment as they largely survived on kitchen scraps and grains produced on the farm. “It was a way of life,” Mohammad recalled. “Almost every household in the village kept chickens. We earned from selling eggs and birds while also meeting our family’s nutritional needs.” His story mirrors that of hundreds of families across Pulwama, where backyard poultry was once an integral part of the rural economy. Villages were largely self-reliant in meeting their demand for eggs and chicken, with surplus produce finding its way to local markets. Over the years, however, that picture has changed dramatically. Experts attribute the decline largely to the rapid expansion of horticulture, particularly apple cultivation, which has transformed the district’s agricultural landscape. In pursuit of higher returns, farmers gradually replaced paddy fields with apple orchards, while urbanisation and rapid construction reduced the land available for traditional agriculture and livestock rearing. Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, Pulwama, Dr. Mohd Amin Thakroo, said urbanisation has been the primary driver behind the decline of backyard poultry farming, once a common feature of rural households. “With rising education levels, more people have entered government service and no longer practise backyard poultry farming. What was once an important source of household income has now largely become an aesthetic or hobby activity,” he said. Thakroo said the economics of backyard poultry have also changed significantly. “Earlier, input costs were minimal because birds were fed on agricultural waste, kitchen leftovers and farm by-products. Today, feed costs are much higher, while returns have declined,” he said, adding that the shift from agriculture to horticulture has further reduced the availability of low-cost feed. Backyard poultry, once a rural staple, is making a comeback in Pulwama—Photograph: (Photo Credit: Gulzar Bhat) He said another factor contributing to the decline is the growing preference for commercial broiler farming. While indigenous (desi) chickens take nearly 18 weeks before they begin laying eggs, broiler chickens attain a market weight of 1 to 1.3 kilograms within just 28 to 30 days, making them far more profitable for commercial producers. Industry experts also point to another structural challenge. Kashmir does not have its own poultry feed mills, forcing farmers to source both poultry feed and raw materials from outside the region. This dependence on imports has increased production costs and further eroded the viability of small-scale backyard poultry farming. As a result, a practice that once made villages largely self-sufficient in eggs and chicken has steadily faded, leaving rural households increasingly dependent on commercially produced poultry. However, officials say efforts are now underway to revive backyard poultry through government-backed interventions. Thakroo said backyard poultry has re-emerged as an important livelihood activity under various departmental initiatives, particularly the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). “Under HADP, around 20,000 birds have been introduced through Free Range Poultry Units, benefiting rural households and encouraging backyard poultry rearing across the district,” he said. According to the department, nearly 18,000 backyard poultry chicks were reared up to 28 days of age at government poultry farms before being distributed to beneficiaries for the establishment of backyard poultry units. In addition, around 40,000 birds were reared in Egger Nurseries up to 28 days of age and supplied to farmers to promote backyard poultry. Officials said backyard poultry had witnessed a steady decline over the years due to changing livelihood patterns, the low productivity of indigenous birds and limited scientific management practices. The new interventions are aimed at reversing this trend by supplying improved birds and encouraging scientific backyard poultry farming. Pulwama currently has an estimated backyard poultry population of around 1.5 lakh birds. “Nearly half of these are laying hens. With an average annual production of 100 to 130 eggs per bird, Pulwama is estimated to produce around 55 to 60 lakh eggs every year. The recent expansion of backyard poultry under government programmes is expected to further boost local egg production while strengthening rural livelihoods,” officials said.