Baramulla, Sep 11: Amid a deepening employment crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, where lakhs of educated youth remain queued up for government jobs, a woman in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has built a self-reliant livelihood through poultry farming, offering a template that does not depend on a government appointment.
Abida, a resident of Shirpora in the Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, began with a few hens — not with a business plan. She wanted to add eggs to her child’s diet.
“I had no idea about poultry farming. I wanted to introduce eggs to my child. I had brought some hens to introduce eggs to him. Luckily, he picked up a breed whose egg production was good,” Abida told Kashmir Convener.
What began as a household need gradually turned commercial. “Initially, I started selling eggs. When an income was generated, I increased the stock. When people’s response was good, I made it my farm,” she said.
The early phase, she said, was difficult, with household duties, children and poultry work competing for her time, and little initial acceptance around her. “Initially, everyone was upset because I had to take care of my children, house and business. It is very hectic to take care of poultry. But Alhamdulillah, when I got a lot of love from people, I did not expect that people would support me so much,” she said.
Abida said customer support proved decisive in her expansion. “Sometimes, customers come to me to give me support. They get these breeds in nearby areas, but they come here to give me support. I got a lot of support from people. Because of that, I can increase my work,” she said.
“We have 3-4 breeds that work only for egg production. We do not work with fancy breeds because it is difficult to manage both. People demand more for this. It is affordable for everyone, whether they are higher or middle class,” she said.
Asked about her motivation, Abida cited self-belief. “First of all, I have so much courage that I can do it. I have faith in myself. Thanks to Allah, when I hear poultry, I feel proud of myself,” she said.
She urged the region’s youth not to rely solely on government employment. “Do not wait for government jobs. Start your own small business. Do it with your own hard work so that people recognise you,” she said.
Abida attributed her resilience to her father’s struggles. “I am very proud of myself. I want to give all this credit to my father because I have always seen my father struggling. Before marriage, I used to see him struggling. I used to see how he used to fight difficult situations. He never made me ready for business. But after seeing him, I have learned how to fight difficult situations,” she said.
Her story comes against official figures that underline the scale of the employment challenge in the Union Territory. The Jammu and Kashmir government acknowledged earlier this year that the UT’s unemployment rate stands at 6.7 per cent — nearly double the national average of 3.5 per cent.
According to official data, around 3.49 lakh youth are currently registered with District Employment and Counselling Centres (DE&CCs), while a significantly larger number remain outside the formal system, continuing to struggle for livelihood opportunities.
The figures were disclosed in the previous Assembly session by MLA Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din, and are based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, covering the 15–59 age group.
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