Time for revival of Traditional economic practices in rural Jammu & Kashmir
Dr. Sofi Rafiq
Urbanization has engulfed not only the major cities but also our rural areas. Due to technological & other changes, rural regions of the whole country including areas of Jammu & Kashmir are developing at a great pace. The development process over the years has changed the face of rural areas. Better road connectivity, health care facilities, good communication networks, and drinking water facilities have reached the nook and corner of the rural areas. Rural areas in Jammu & Kashmir are not far behind the urban ones in terms of basic facilities but the problem associated with this development is that the rural population has given away the traditional economic activities/practices which have a pivotal role to play in the overall economic development of Jammu & Kashmir. It can be debated that a new look has to be given to such traditional economic practices but all together running away from such vital activities can in no way help our economy.
Traditionally our rural social realm was such that we used to be self-sufficient at the domestic level due to following age-old proven economic practices suitable for the area we live in. The following were a few of the economic practices that are either fully abandoned or dying with each passing day:
Poultry Rearing: The rearing of poultry has transformed from backyard rearing to commercial organized & scientific. In rural areas every household used to rear some poultry birds this economic practice was giving a double-edged benefit on one hand the demand for meat & eggs to a larger extent was met at the household level thus not allowing the price in the market for these products to get escalated to a level it is touching now due to demand & supply factors and indirectly it was an economic support to the household. As per a report, only Kashmir consumes 2.23 lakh kgs of poultry for Rs 2.79 cr, daily to meet the daily demand UT has to rely on imports thus draining the UT exchequer.
Sheep & Goat Farming: Sheep & Goat farming is the oldest economic practice in the rural economy of J&K. Households in rural J&K used to rear Goats & Sheep to meet the demand for meat. Sheep are reared to get wool as well. Mutton is an essential part of Kashmir cuisine, as per the reports in a local daily of Jammu and Kashmir on average consumes 600 lakh kilograms of mutton annually of which 350 lakh kgs are imported from other states. As per an official document of the Animal Husbandry department, “On an average 600 kilograms of mutton is consumed in J&K annually. There is a shortfall in local production which is met by imports. The bill on account of mutton imports is around Rs.1,400 crore annually. J&K every year imports around 150 to 300 lakh kgs of mutton thereby creating huge avenues for investment in the sector and creation of employment opportunities,”.
Dairy Farming: Dairy farming is undertaken not only to meet local demand for Milk, Cheese, Curd and other products but is also an avenue of women empowerment in rural areas & income generation. If a single cow is reared in a rural household it employs at least one individual with a reasonable income.
When global warming and waste management are the hot topics discussed around the globe the revival of rural economic practices will not only suffice the purpose of economic development but will also act as a natural and cost-free mechanism for food waste management in rural areas thus having a positive impact on effectively plugging the sources of pollutants responsible for environmental degradation. These economic activities were serving the natural way of waste management as we are aware that a few poultry birds, sheep or a single goat at household can be reared on domestic wastages like food waste, vegetable waste, fruit waste, Plant waste etc. Moreover, the wastes by way of rearing poultry, sheep, goat, and cows in the form of dung can be used as natural/organic fertilizer for gardens, paddy fields etc.
I am not arguing that these economic practices cannot be taken by some people as prosperous/profitable business opportunities on a very large scale with the use of all advanced methods, technologies & techniques around, but I am advocating for reviving traditional economic practices of rural J&K at household level which can help us to address many issues having personal, economical & social consequences. The benefits of such revival are summed up:
Create employment opportunities for at least one person in a family following such economic practices.
Generate respectable income
Enhance the standard of living of a household.
Help to tackle depression, and anxiety among youth caused due to sitting idle at home.
Help to manage prices which are rising at a galloping rate.
Effective Waste management at the source.
Create manure for agricultural uses.
Help to bridge the gap between local supply & demand.
Reduce import bill of exchequer on account of import of poultry, eggs, meat etc.
Leap towards atmanirbhar/self-sufficient Jammu & Kashmir.
This all needs one big investment that is not money but a change in the mental set-up of our youth.
The author can be reached at rafeeqgbl@gmail.com
