Kupwara village produces cheese worth Rs. 2 Lakh every day

In you happen to visit Chogal in this north Kashmir district, don’t miss to take home the finest cheese produced in this village.

Chogal has not only made Kupwara district self- sufficient in milk and cheese production, it has over the years build up its capacity to supply the surplus to Srinagar and other districts in Kashmir. Some three kilometres from Handwara town, Chogal falling along Kupwara- Sopore road has earned the sobriquet of ‘ milk village.’ This small village every day produces more than ten quintal cheese getting a daily business of about Rs 2 lakh to the producers.

“ The Chogal cheese due to its high quality is the most sought after dairy product in the district; even it is now taken by certain Kashmiri families to Delhi and Suadia Arabia as a gift to their near and dear ones,” Muhammad Iqbal, a local, said.

Locals rear cross bread Jersey cows and most of the houses here 2 to 3 cows on an average. Every day milk from Chogal and some adjoining areas like Guloora, Gund Chowgal, Kultoora, Takiabal, Kulangam, is being collected by some cheese sellers of Chowgal. “ They make the milk into cheese and it sells like hot cakes,” Abdul Gani Chogali an advocate and social activist, said.

“ Cheese sellers of Chowgal have become technically sound in preparation of good quality of cheese over the years. To get remunerative prices, most of the people prefer to sell their milk here which is converted into cheese and other dairy products,” Dr A R Wani, a veterinarian said.

“ Due to the location of the Chogal on Kupwara- Srinagar road, cheese sellers find it easy to transport it to Srinagar and other districts,” Wani said, adding that because of the finest and pure quality cheese, Chowgal now holds the top position in the list of cheese producing villages in the Kashmir.

They make the milk into cheese and it sells like hot cakes.