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| LAHDC ends cooperative monopoly, allows private players in berry harvest | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Oct 31
Based on the suggestions from Union commerce ministry, Leh’s Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has finally de-monopolized the berry trade. Under the new system, individual entrepreneurs would be permitted to pulp the berry that grows wildly from the next season.
“It has been a great decision. But the problem is that it is yet to be notified and the council has said a final decision may come actually next season,” said Ashraf Ali, one of the leading private pulpers in Leh. This season, he harvested almost 40 tonne of the wild berry — almost half of the total production that private sector did.
The cooperative sector, which is controlling the berry trade, has produced around 100 tonne of the pulp. (One kilogram of fruit normally offer not less than 500 grams of pulp).
Leh alone has the fruit availability of over 11,000 tonne a season but quite a fraction of it is actually being harvested. Besides the harsh LAHDC guidelines, the least harvesting is attributed to a number of reasons including short harvesting period, inadequate post-harvest technology, inaccessibility in forests and shortage of trained man-power.
De-monopolizing the trade was termed to be the key to bring efficiency in harvesting since it ensures private participation in the whole process.
Most of the trade was being managed by the cooperatives that have an effective presence in the region. Right now, almost 68% of the rural families are directly linked to the cooperative set up — among 104 societies, 80 are primary agriculture credit societies.
The cooperatives controls three-fourth of Leh’s business of essential commodities, agriculture produce and the entire fertilizer distribution network.
Under the proposed guideline, reports from Leh suggest that units having FPO licence would be allowed to harvest the fruit and participate in the processing. They would even be supported by creating infrastructure — 20% subsidy in infrastructure development and 100% in land and power.
Right now, only three private parties in Leh have FPO licence as cases of six others are under process, sources said. Those who have been permitted to harvest the berries will have to contribute a part of their profits to the LAHDC for investing in various social schemes.
Union commerce ministry has taken the berry trade as a thrust area in Leh. APEDA is funding a DPR to offer details of critical requirements that would help Leh get a chain of semi-processing and cold storage units.
Minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh, who visited the region last month, has agreed to hire a top-notch expert to seek organic certification for the Leh berries, for which the LAHDC would identify areas where it is cultivated — a pre-requisite for the process. DRDO would evolve a mechanized harvesting system and, most probably, may get equipment from China where the fruit trade is a roaring business.
The union ministry has already taken up the issue of Leh’s name be dropped from a popular juice brand which uses cheap Chinese imports for its juice — a demand that is on top of the LAHDC agenda. The J&K’s Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) has also opened its centre in Leh. |
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