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| Co-operative Banks to cover orchardists under Apple Insurance: Dilawar | | | Early Times Reporte
Jammu | Apr 22
In a significant measure aimed at welfare of the fruit growers, the Government today decided to bring all loanee farmers of the State Cooperative Bank under the Apple Insurance Scheme.
Decision to this effect was taken at the Board meeting of the State Agricultural Marketing Board held here today under the Chairmanship of Minister for Horticulture, PHE, I&FC, Mr. Mohd. Dilawar Mir.
The meeting also approved covering all the major fruit markets in the State under Information Technology scheme to provide Internet Connectivity to know about latest market trends. The Board also approved shop allotment committees for allotment of shop sites in various up coming fruit and vegetable mandies and satellite fruit markets in various parts of the State. The criteria for eligibility for shop site was also approved in the meeting.
Principal Secretary Agriculture Production Department, Mrs. Sonali Kumar, Registrar Cooperatives, Mr. G N Qasba, Director Horticulture (P&M) Mr. S A Zargar, Director Horticulture Jammu, Mr. M S Qasba, Director Horticulture, Kashmir, Mr. Nazir Ahmed Wani, President of Fruit Association from Srinagar and Jammu, Khawaja Ghulam Mustafa and V K Gandotra respectively, representatives of NABARD and concerned officers were present in the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman directed the concerned officers to focus on improving basic facilities to the fruit growers in various fruit mandies adding that Government have mooted a multi crore project for constructing three modern terminal fruit markets one each in South Kashmir, North Kashmir and Jammu. The Mandies would provide better marketing channels to the fruit growers to sell their produce without exploitation by the middlemen, he added.
The Minister enjoined upon the Board to concentrate on evolving viable and pragmatic strategy for promotion of Horticulture sector in the State on modern lines. He said need of the hour was to increase production and productivity, improve cold chain to improve shelf life of fruit and introduction of improved packaging modes. These steps are pre-requisite to withstand stiff market competition in the wake of WTO.
The Minister said that in order to achieve this goal, Government have arranged about 10 lakh Card Board Boxes at 25% subsidy for distribution among fruit growers adding that Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) has also been introduced to encourage the farmers for exporting only A-Grade Apple to Outside Fruit Mandies.
Mr. Dilawar said that in order to keep pace with the developing countries, J&K Government have also decided to import best quality plant material from abroad. For this purpose, a team of senior officers and experts would shortly visit advanced countries like USA, UK, Germany and Australia.
Sonali Kumar urged the horticulture officers to dove-tail its programme with the agriculture department so that apple waste in fruit mandies could be processed for manufacture of organic manure. |
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