A Mega Export Conclave by Horticulture Planning & Marketing Department organized at Jammu

Jammu, March 20, 2023 : The Department of Horticulture Planning & Marketing, J&K today organized an Export Conclave at Jammu, wherein Exporters from across the country dealing in export of Agricultural / Horticultural produce participated and shared their rich experience and valuable inputs enabling J&K to expand its export prospects. Various key agencies involved in Exports Promotion including APEDA, DGFT, Federation of Indian Exporters Organizations (FIEO), Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC), Indian Postal Department shared the mandatory requirements of successful export trade and policies and programmes of the government.

Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner (Addl. Chief Secretary) Agriculture Production and Farmers’ Welfare Department, J&K was the Chief Guest and shared the current policy and the government plans to evolve an export promotion policy for betterment of the farmers and other stakeholders from U.T. of Jammu & Kashmir. He emphasized that the government is fully committed and is exploring all possibilities for more proactively and effectively supporting the farmers, FPOs, Cooperatives, Traders and exporter community of J&K.

Valuing Over 5000 Crore Projects have been conceptualized and meticulously prepared under Holistic Agriculture Development Programme embarked by the J&K UT., he informed.  A massive capacity development programme is underway to train and sensitize all the stakeholders in respect of the provisions of the Projects, he added.

He further shared that the Government is expeditiously moving to widen its bucket of GI products and has already constituted an Apex committee headed by Dr. Mangla Rai for Export Promotion Roadmap for J&K and active consultations with all stakeholders in this regard are underway.

Vikas Sharma, Director Horticulture Planning and Marketing, in his welcome address shared that the Department has taken many steps to give a fillip to the marketing infrastructure. The department has also organized Buyer-Seller Meets at Kolkata and Jammu in the recent past which benefitted the growers of the U.T., he informed. Under Holistic development Agriculture Programme, the Department is implementing over 500 Crore Project on strengthening Agricultural marketing in J&K. Agriculture Branding Centers, Rural Service and Business Hubs, Augmentation of CA Stores and Markets, Composting Plants, Creation of Market Intelligence Cells are some of the areas to be focused in the stated project, he added.

The participants from across the U.T. were very enthusiastic with the Export Conclave and some also matured the contracts with the exporters for supply of their respective produce. They were of the view that the initiative taken by the Government to bring the Buyers / Exporters / Traders from various locations at the farm gate of the growers / farmers of the U.T. shall definitely showcase our produce to National and international markets resulting in increased demand for our products and eventually boosting our rising economy.

Earlier, a detailed presentation was made by Dr. Sudhanshu depicting the exports scenario of agri-horticulture commodities in J&K. It was brought out that the focus of the UT is on export promotion of crops like Fresh Fruits including Apple and Cherry, Walnuts, Almonds, Saffron, Honey, Vegetables, Processed Foods, Wool and Skins, Basmati, Pulses, Silk, Lavender & other Aromatic products.

Dr P. K. Joshi, an eminent personality in the field of Agriculture in his address, congratulated the UT government for bringing out proactive and farmer- centric measures to boost the economy of the UT. He appreciated the steps and initiatives taken in the recent times and shared that J&K is now being looked at by other States for emulation .

The Export Conclave was attended among others by the Heads of Department, Agriculture Production and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Representatives from APEDA, DGFT, FIEO, ECGC, Indian posts, IIT, IIM, Jammu University, NABARD, SKUAST, NHB, Kisan Board Members, DMI, Farmers, FPOs, Cooperatives, Entrepreneurs, Exporters, Market associations.