Jammu, 25 February (H.S.): Jammu and Kashmir has recorded the sale of over 5.63 crore bottles of liquor during the current financial year up to January 2026, with Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer accounting for the major share.

According to official data, a total of over 5.63 crore bottles were sold across civil and canteen services department (CSD) off-shops and paramilitary forces’ (PMF) outlets during the 2025-26 fiscal.

The figures include over 1.90 crore bottles of IMFL sold in the civil sector and 20.85 lakh bottles through CSD and PMF, taking the total IMFL sales to more than 2.11 crore bottles.

Beer sales stood at over 1.61 crore bottles in the civil sector and 1.26 lakh bottles in CSD and PMF outlets, aggregating to more than 1.62 crore bottles, it added.

Besides, over 2.08 crore bottles of JK Special Whisky were sold in the civil segment during the current fiscal, while ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages accounted for 2.68 lakh bottles in civil and 7,071 bottles in CSD and PMF outlets, data revealed.

In comparison, the total sale during 2024-25 was nearly 6.94 crore bottles, indicating that the current year’s figures are lower, with data available only up to January 26.

Official data further revealed that total liquor sales in 2023-24 stood at more than 6.72 crore bottles, while in 2022-23, over 6.59 crore bottles were sold, reflecting fluctuations in overall consumption trends over the past years.

However, liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir across channels over the last eight years reflect a clear cycle of stability, disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a strong recovery culminating in record sales in 2024-25, official data reveals.

According to the data, 2018-19 set a strong pre-disruption baseline with total sales of 6.83 crore bottles, driven almost evenly by IMFL at 2.52 crore bottles and JK Special Whisky at 2.47 crore bottles, while beer accounted for 1.81 crore bottles, indicating a balanced consumption pattern.

In 2019-20, overall sales slipped marginally to 6.63 crore bottles, a decline of around 2.9 per cent. While IMFL sales fell by nearly five per cent, JK Special Whisky bucked the trend, rising to 2.64 crore bottles, partially offsetting the decline, the data said.

The data showed a significant downturn recorded in 2020-21, when total sales plunged to 4.71 crore bottles, marking a steep 29 per cent decline year-on-year. “All segments were impacted, with beer witnessing the sharpest contraction — falling from 1.57 crore bottles to just 71 lakh, a drop of over 54 per cent.” The declines were due to lockdowns, mobility restrictions and curtailed social activity, making it the lowest point in the series.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar