Kargil, Jan 31: The Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, on Friday chaired a meeting of the District Cooperative Development Committee (DCDC) at his office chamber in Baroo to review the progress of ongoing initiatives and chart fresh measures for strengthening the cooperative sector across the district.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Registrar Cooperatives Shahzad Sarwar, Chief Agriculture Officer Ashiq Hussain, District Sheep Husbandry Officer Niyazul Hassnain, officers from the departments of Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Food and Civil Supplies and Fisheries, besides representatives of the Cooperative Bank, NABARD, Food Corporation of India, National Dairy Development Board, Milk Union, Fish Union and other allied stakeholders.
Deputy Registrar Cooperatives informed the chair about the action taken and achievements recorded since the previous DCDC meeting held in February 2025.
Detailed discussions were held on the establishment and registration of Multi-Purpose District Cooperative Societies, Multi-Purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies and Multi-Purpose Farmer Cooperative Societies in the district. The committee laid special focus on strengthening existing dairy cooperative societies and initiating fresh registrations in blocks which remain outside the cooperative network, including Shargole, Pashkum and Chiktan.
To widen the scope of cooperative activity, the committee also proposed the registration of societies in sectors such as handicrafts, artisanal Pashmina, wool, poultry, meat, sheep and animal husbandry, with the objective of improving organised market access and income opportunities for farmers and artisans.
The meeting further reviewed measures to promote the use of organic fertilisers with technical support from departmental experts, SKUAST and academic institutions. The Deputy Commissioner directed concerned departments to prepare tutorial videos for the scientific and effective application of fertilisers at the field level.
Among other issues, the committee discussed the computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, revival of non-functional societies, completion of data updation on the National Cooperative Database portal, construction of a cooperative complex at Baroo and district-wide awareness campaigns to strengthen the cooperative movement.
The Deputy Commissioner also emphasised the planned utilisation of barren Kah-Charai land for fodder cultivation to support livestock growth and improve milk production. Deliberations were held on strengthening milk collection through depots, processing milk into value-added products and expanding the role of collection centres to include vegetables, fruits and fish.
Officials were directed to submit a comprehensive plan for improving output from grazing lands and enhancing farmers’ income, with a special focus on increasing milk production through organised cooperative channels.
Highlighting the social impact of cooperative outreach, the Deputy Commissioner observed that extending cooperative services to remote villages would help address livelihood gaps and curb rural-to-urban migration in the district.
