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...