Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 27: Principal Secretary Finance, Navin K Choudhary today called for establishing a chain of Agro-Logistic Centers (ALCs) in the State to improve processing, storage, quality assurance, transportation, and distribution of horticultural and allied produce.
"ALCs will provide all necessary post-harvest facilities and services in one place to improve value chain from farm to market through increased efficiency gains for all participants and increase price transmission to small-scale producers and small and medium-sized agribusinesses," Navin said during the pre-budget discussions of the Agriculture Production, Horticulture, Floriculture, Animal/Sheep Husbandry and allied departments here today.
Principal Secretary, Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, Secretary Agriculture Production &Horticulture, Manzoor Ahmad Lone, Secretary Floriculture, Parks and Gardens, Mohammad Javed Khan, Director Budget, Imtiyaz Ahmad, other senior officers of Finance Department and Heads of Departments of the concerned organizations attended the meeting. Kashmir-based officers joined the meetings through video-conferencing. Choudhary said the ALCs will also help increase domestic sales and exports of horticulture produce while reducing post-harvest losses and handling costs. "Horticulture remains a promising sector in J&K. This important sector, however, is still underdeveloped due to lack of access to modern production and post-harvest technology and financing," he said and added that the Government would explore the possibility of financing ALCs on pilot basis.
The Principal Secretary Finance called upon the HoDs of Agriculture, Horticulture and Floriculture Departments to evolve new concepts and innovations by adopting multi-cropping system in the potential areas to enhance production and productivity in the State.
In the marathon deliberations, Principal Secretary Finance sought the suggestions from concerned officers vis-à-vis realization of targets, revenue generation and implementation of various programmes by these departments and future plans for the next financial year. |
