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In a bid to boost production and reduce import costs, the Jammu and Kashmir government has approved a Rs 329 crore project for the next five years to achieve self reliance in mutton sector. The project is aimed at creating 6,000 jobs besides setting up of 122 enterprises in the mutton sector in the Union Territory. "In view of huge mutton usage in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Kashmiri cuisine and in order to reduce meat import, the government has approved an ambitious Rs 329 crore project for next five years to achieve self reliance in mutton sector", Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo said. The initiative also envisages achieving self-reliance in the mutton sector through a combination of innovative interventions including vertical upgrades, horizontal expansion besides focused attention on health cover and nutrition, he said. Despite the region's competitive advantage and potential to become self-reliant in the mutton sector,
West Bengal has started exporting meat labelled with the state government-owned Haringhata brand to Qatar, ahead of the FIFA World Cup football tournament, officials said. State minister for Animal Resources Development Swapan Debnath on Thursday said that besides Qatar, the state will also be sending goat and sheep meat from its processing centre in Haringhata -- owned by West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation to countries such as Kuwait, Hong Kong and Maldives. "We will be exporting meat to multiple countries, having received an approval from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)," he stated. Debnath said that the department would urge its "agents" to push for a deal with the authorities responsible for food supply during the tournament. "We have received a contract for exporting 1.2 metric tonne of meat. Around seven tonne will be sent in six batches in a month," the minister added.