Food & Beverage News: Top Stories - J& K to focus on marketing strategy for horticulture produce

In a strategy to improve its marketing techniques for delivering added benefits to the growers, the Jammu and Kashmir government has designed a comprehensive programme to upgrade all fruit 'mandis' in the state.

Minister of state for horticulture Javid Ahmad Dar said, “Better marketing and other facilities would be provided to the growers within the ambit of fruit mandis." The ministry released Rs 2 crore for the purpose of upgrading the local fruit market.

Horticulture being the backbone of the economy, Javed said that encouragement of private players was necessary for promotion of this industry.

Javed also assured that the state would provide financial assistance to fruit growers to build basic infrastructure like cold storage. For the purpose, the state would provide Rs16 crore to fruit growers out of which Rs10 crore would be subsidy.

Highlighting the role of infrastructure, the minister said, "Our thrust areas should be creation of infrastructure, setting up grading standard, production of quality packing material for the fruit and launching of awareness campaign among the growers about the already launched state and central schemes."

The union agriculture ministry has also agreed to include the deep borewell scheme under the horticulture department to provide irrigation facilities to the growers.

Further the horticulture director was directed by the minister to ensure allotment of shops to the growers within 10 days.

Around 300 buyers from outside the state, besides 284 local buyers, are currently engaged in purchasing fruit directly from the mandi.

The Sopore fruit mandi is one of the biggest terminal markets in the state. The mandi has had a turnover of around Rs 324.16 crore including exports to markets in Bangladesh and Nepal during the current fruit season. Around 1.18 crore fruit boxes with a turnover of Rs 451 crore were dispatched from the mandi last season.