Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 28: Additional Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today launched construction work on 5200 MT Capacity Cold Store at Talab Tillo.
The Cold Store is being established by J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation Limited, a premium State PSU in Agriculture Sector, with a cost of Rs. 22 crore under NABARD loan scheme.
Additional Chief Secretary visited and inspected the site and overviewed the construction work. He was informed that this cold store facility will be used for storing fresh fruits and vegetables, dry fruits, dairy products, flowers, meat, fishes and other products benefitting the farmers of Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Jammu, Kathua, Samba and other areas. This cold store will be the largest post-harvest facility from government in Jammu province .
Managing Director, J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation Limited, Dr. Arun Manhas, briefed ACS about the status of work on the project. He said that this facility will go a long way in providing post harvest storage facilities to farmers and florists for storing their produce during the peak seasons and selling them at the time when they receive appropriate prices.
Atal Dulloo directed the Managing Director and other concerned to complete the project in a time bound manner so that this vital facility could be provided to the stakeholders as early as possible.
Among others, Director Command Area Development, Rajinder Singh Tara, Director Horticulture Jammu, Ram Sevak, Director Agriculture Production Department, Jammu, K. K. Sharma, Director Finance, JK AIDCL, Rakesh Khajuria, Divisional Manager, Administration, JK AIDCL, Er. A H Salaria and other Officers of Agriculture Production Department and JK AIDCL were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Atal Dulloo said that “Expanding business and marketing opportunities for farmers with a well planned holistic agriculture development is immensely helping Jammu and Kashmir to move towards historic transformation”.
ACS said this while addressing a gathering after inaugurating one day Buyer- Seller meet organized by the Department of Horticulture Planning and Marketing (HP&M) here today
Over three hundred growers and farmers, SHGs, FPOs and entrepreneurs hailing from different parts of J&K participated in the event.
The meet also witnessed a great participation of buyers which included big merchants, exporters and multinational companies like Reliance, Big Basket and Amazon. Besides, many potential buyers/exporters/stakeholders including HFN, Unnati Cooperatives, Uniwool, JKDCUL, Sarweshwar addressed the gathering.
Speaking on the occasion Atal Dulloo said that the Government has launched a holistic agriculture development programme in J&K. The conceptualization, formulation and approval of the massive transformative mission to reform agriculture and allied sectors in J&K was finalized and translated on ground in just 5 months of time, he added.
Atal Dulloo said the approved plan comprising 29 project proposals shall push agriculture and allied sectors to a new trajectory of growth with economy, ecology and equity as its guiding pillars, he shared. He also announced that the government has taken up the task of providing GI tagging to another 20-25 products that will give us an edge in the international markets. Besides, a high-level committee has been set up to take steps for export promotion of our significant products.
He said the HP&M has moved towards transparent e-auction system for allocation of space in mandis and e-NAM trade has increased from a less than Rs 1 crore to over Rs 23 crore in a span of 3-4 months, besides taking lead at the national level in inter-state e-NAM Trade.
Director HP&M, Vikas Sharma, advised the participants to make the best use of the platform provided in this buyer seller meet. He hoped that this initiative will help empower our farmers/growers in order to realize maximum dividends.
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