Pastoralism and strategies for strengthening range land resources of Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

There is a great scope for expansion of livestock oriented activities in the state of Jammu & Kashmir due to its varied agroclimatic conditions and rich forage resources. Livestock plays a very vital role in economic development of the state and forms an integral part of state agriculture. A large livestock population cannot be maintained on the fodder produced on arable land alone. The major part (62.2%) of the fodder is extracted from forests (tree/shrub/leaves and herbaceous ground flora). The remaining fodder (37.8%) is derived from low altitude grasslands, degraded lands, high altitude grasslands and crop residues. Rangelands form 55% of the total area in the Himalayan region and comprise diverse vegetation types distributed from the sub-tropical to the temperate and to the alpine regions. These rangelands are important sources of forage and meet over 50-60% of the total requirement of animal fodder. The rangelands of Himalaya are the most neglected ecosystems. These seldom occupy significant place in the research diasporas, institutional policies, plans and development programmes. There is an urgent need of sustainable use and maintenance of rangeland resources in the form of native ranges, forest, pasture and agricultural/orchard lands.