\n<\/p>\n
Every morning in Matrigam village of Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumtaza Begum\u2019s day begins with her sheep.<\/span><\/p>\n There are animals to be fed, workers to coordinate, health checks to keep track of, and buyers to speak to when demand rises during weddings and festivals. What began as a small experiment with 20 sheep in 2018 has now grown into a flock of around 500.<\/span><\/p>\n For Mumtaza, a 33-year-old mother, the farm is more than a source of income. It is the life she built after years of waiting for a government job.<\/span><\/p>\n Like many young people in Kashmir, Mumtaza once hoped for a stable government position. She completed her studies, prepared for recruitment exams, and waited for opportunities. But marriage, motherhood and household responsibilities slowly pushed her own ambitions to the background.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumtaza Begum now manages a flock of around 500 sheep at her farm in Matrigam village.<\/p>\n \u201cSoon after completing my studies, I got married, and with responsibilities, my dreams seemed buried alive,\u201d she recalls. \u201cHousehold chores and raising children left little space for my own future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n For years, she remained caught between family responsibilities and the desire to do something of her own. Then, instead of waiting endlessly for recruitment lists, she began looking at the work and resources around her.<\/span><\/p>\n She chose sheep rearing because Bandipora has steady demand during weddings and festivals.<\/p>\n In Bandipora, livestock rearing was familiar, practical and linked to steady local demand. Sheep were needed for weddings, festivals and household consumption. The work could also be managed close to home.<\/span><\/p>\n That is when Mumtaza decided to start small.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2018, Mumtaza began sheep farming with 20 sheep. The decision was not easy. She was entering a space largely seen as men\u2019s work, and many people around her questioned the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n Her husband, Fayaz Ahmad, remembers being unsure in the beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was not common for women here to take up something like sheep farming,\u201d he says. \u201cBut she was determined, and we decided to support her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mumtaza says she chose sheep rearing because it had local demand and did not need a very large investment at the start.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn our area, sheep have a ready market, especially during weddings and festivals. I felt it was something practical I could manage from home,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n She started on an experimental basis, learning as she went. There was no formal business training. She learnt through daily work, by observing feeding patterns, breeding cycles, health needs, grazing schedules and market demand.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumtaza learnt feeding, breeding and health management through daily work on the farm.<\/p>\n \u201cI decided to start on an experimental basis,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was risk, but I felt this was something I could build over time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her early years were shaped by patience. The flock grew slowly, and whatever she earned was put back into the farm. She also began exploring government support for livestock farmers.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2021, Mumtaza received support under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). Through the programme, she received 50 sheep, a subsidy, and support to build farm infrastructure, including a sheep shed.<\/span><\/p>\n This helped her expand the unit in a more organised way.<\/span><\/p>\n Peer Irshad Ahmad, a district official from the Sheep Husbandry Department in Bandipora, says sheep farming can be a viable livelihood option in north Kashmir, especially when farmers are able to access government support.<\/span><\/p>\n Support received in 2021 included 50 sheep, a subsidy and help to build a sheep shed.<\/p>\n \u201cSheep farming is a viable livelihood option in north Kashmir, especially with government support. However, scaling from a small unit to a flock of 500 is not very common and reflects sustained effort,\u201d he says.<\/span> He adds that while schemes are available, awareness and access remain a challenge for many rural entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/p>\n Over six years, Mumtaza expanded her flock through reinvestment, government support and daily care. By 2024, her farm had grown to around 500 sheep.<\/span><\/p>\n The work follows a structured routine. The sheep are fed regularly, taken for grazing, monitored for health, and prepared for market demand. During wedding seasons, buyers usually look for sheep weighing around 20 to 30 kg. Around Eid-ul-Adha, the demand often rises for heavier animals.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumtaza says the local geography also helps make sheep rearing viable. For nearly six months each year, shepherds in the area follow a common and permitted seasonal grazing practice in forest areas near Harmukh. This helps reduce feed costs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor nearly six months, the flock grazes in the forests, which reduces feed costs and makes it easier for others to take up this work,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n The sheep are fed, taken for grazing and monitored regularly for health and market readiness.<\/p>\n Today, Mumtaza says she earns around Rs 1 lakh a month in profit after expenses. The income has changed her family\u2019s financial condition and given her the independence she once hoped a government job would bring.<\/span><\/p>\n But the journey has also changed how people around her look at women-led businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n In the beginning, she says, people mocked her for choosing a profession they associated with men.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople discouraged me and questioned my decision,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I decided not to give up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mumtaza\u2019s farm now supports more than 10 people directly and indirectly. Three workers are permanently employed, while others help during peak seasons with grazing, transport, sales and other farm-related work.<\/span><\/p>\n Workers involved in grazing and daily care earn around Rs 500 per day, depending on the nature of the work.<\/span><\/p>\n For Muzammil Hussain, a worker from Rajouri, the farm has brought much-needed stability.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEarlier, I worked as a labourer and sometimes earned nothing. Now I have a steady income and can support my family,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n Another worker, Anqar Ahmad from Onagam in Bandipora, says the work has reduced uncertainty for his household.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe earn regularly here, and it has improved our household conditions,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n For Mumtaza, this is the part of her journey that matters most.<\/span><\/p>\n Her farm supports over 10 people through permanent and seasonal work linked to livestock care.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had a government job, I might have supported only my family,\u201d she says. \u201cThrough this, I am helping other families as well. Their children are now getting a better education.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her husband says the family\u2019s view of the business changed as the farm grew.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt first, there was uncertainty,\u201d Fayaz says. \u201cBut over time, we saw how serious she was. The farm improved our financial condition and also changed how people saw her work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Across Kashmir, many young people spend years preparing for government jobs. For some, the wait brings frustration and uncertainty. Mumtaza believes that while government jobs remain important, young people should also look at local opportunities they can build themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy message to youth is to make use of government schemes and start something of their own instead of waiting for a government job,\u201d she says. \u201cThis gives independence and control over your own future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her story also carries a message for women who want to earn but feel limited by family responsibilities or social judgement.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumtaza did not leave her village to build her enterprise. She began with what was available around her, took support where she could, and grew the farm step by step.<\/span><\/p>\n She built the enterprise in Matrigam while balancing farm work and family responsibilities.<\/p>\n Today, her sheep farm in Matrigam stands as an example of how rural entrepreneurship can create income beyond one household.<\/span><\/p>\n From a woman once waiting for a recruitment list to a farmer managing a 500-strong flock, Mumtaza Begum\u2019s journey shows what can happen when opportunity is created at home, with patience, support and the courage to begin small.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every morning in Matrigam village of Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumtaza Begum\u2019s day begins with her sheep. There are animals to be fed, workers to coordinate, health checks to keep track of, and buyers to speak to when demand rises during weddings and festivals. What began as a small experiment with 20 sheep in 2018 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10662],"tags":[25827,25826,11433,5275,7581,14862,25822,11429,11055,25818,25819,2783,25825,25814,25817,25824,25815,25821,25823,25816,10974,25820],"class_list":["post-36056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-food-news","tag-500sheep","tag-bandipora","tag-begum","tag-earns","tag-farm","tag-grew","tag-holistic-agriculture-development-programme","tag-kashmirs","tag-lakh","tag-livestock-farming-india","tag-matrigam-bandipora","tag-month","tag-mumtaza","tag-mumtaza-begum-kashmir","tag-rural-livelihoods-jammu-and-kashmir","tag-sheep","tag-sheep-farming-bandipora","tag-sheep-farming-income-india","tag-women-entrepreneur","tag-women-entrepreneurs-kashmir","tag-women-in-agriculture","tag-women-in-agriculture-kashmir"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",0,0,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",0,0,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",0,0,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",150,150,false],"medium":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",300,300,false],"large":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",1024,1024,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",1536,1536,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",2048,2048,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",370,265,false],"kava-thumb-s":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",150,85,false],"kava-thumb-s-2":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",230,230,false],"kava-thumb-m":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",400,400,false],"kava-thumb-m-vertical":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",370,500,false],"kava-thumb-m-2":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",570,450,false],"kava-thumb-l":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",1170,650,false],"kava-thumb-xl":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",1920,1080,false],"kava-thumb-masonry":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",600,999,false],"kava-thumb-justify":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",640,640,false],"kava-thumb-justify-2":["https:\/\/img-cdn.publive.online\/fit-in\/1200x675\/english-betterindia\/media\/media_files\/2026\/07\/14\/sheep-farming-2026-07-14-00-41-20.png",1280,640,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"#RiseCelestialStudios","author_link":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/author\/ralph-c\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"INDIAN FOOD NEWS<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Every morning in Matrigam village of Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumtaza Begum\u2019s day begins with her sheep. There are animals to be fed, workers to coordinate, health checks to keep track of, and buyers to speak to when demand rises during weddings and festivals. What began as a small experiment with 20 sheep in 2018…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36056"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36058,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36056\/revisions\/36058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\u2018I wanted to experiment\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u2018People discouraged me\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n
From job seeker to job giver<\/span><\/h2>\n
A message for the youth<\/span><\/h2>\n