Srinagar has emerged as a hub for poultry farming entrepreneurship, with over 3,000 farms operating in the valley. This sector is attracting educated, employment-seeking youth as a viable business alternative.
Gulzar Ahmad — From Job Seeker to Employer
Gulzar Ahmad, a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Kanipora, Nowgam, exemplifies this trend. He operates two farms under Gulzar Poultry Farms banner. Initially seeking government employment, he enrolled in the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute's training program, which provided both technical knowledge and bank capital support. His first farm housed approximately 1,000 chickens; today his operations rear around 9,000 birds and supply feed to other farms in the region.
"Like so many other educated unemployed youth, I too was looking for a government job…"
— Gulzar Ahmad, Founder, Gulzar Poultry Farms
"To begin with, I started a small farm with capacity around 1000 chickens…"
— Gulzar Ahmad
Kashmir Valley — over 3,000 poultry farms and counting
Local Inspiration, Mutual Expansion
Gulzar's success inspired neighbouring youth to establish their own units. Abdul Rashid, another farm owner, noted that mutual inspiration drives expansion, with farms now providing employment across localities.
"After I setup my farm, many people realized they too can do it…"
— Gulzar Ahmad
"People were inspired by each other's success and set up farms…"
— Abdul Rashid, Farm Owner
Government Schemes — Up to ₹1 Crore+
Government support mechanisms exist for aspiring entrepreneurs. The Chief Animal Husbandry Officer's office administers schemes offering more than one crore rupees for large-scale operations. Two active projects — at Hariparbat (Srinagar) and Mattan (Anantnag) — operate under the integrated poultry development programme.
"We have schemes for more than one crore rupees…"
— Chief Animal Husbandry Officer official
The Demand-Supply Gap
Each successful farm generates employment for three to six workers. Annual consumption data reveals 400 lakh birds are needed in Kashmir province, while only 140 lakh are reared locally, indicating substantial growth potential. During 2012-13, approximately 350 lakh birds were imported.
Call for Uniform Pricing
Farm owners face challenges with fluctuating chicken prices. They advocate for fixed uniform rates to ensure business sustainability and reduce government employment dependency.
"If a uniform rate is fixed, no one will seek government jobs…"
— Abdul Rashid, Farm Owner