Major relief for apple growers in J&K
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 29: In a major relief for apple growers in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has extended till March 31, 2020 the Market Intervention Scheme for procurement of apples at optimum prices from the apple growers.
An order to this effect has been issued by the Cooperation Division of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture Government of India and conveyed to the Managing Director of National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), New Delhi.
The Central Government has extended the Market Intervention Scheme and available Government Guarantee under Price Support Scheme on the requests made by the Horticulture Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
All terms and conditions of the Market Intervention Scheme will remain unchanged, an official order issued by Shashi Bhushan, Director (MPS), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said.
“Extension in the Market Intervention Scheme will benefit large number of farmers in Jammu and Kashmir,” sources said.
The Central Government order said the NAFED will procure apples in Jammu and Kashmir during crop season 2019 by exempting the provisions contained in the extant guidelines of Market Intervention Scheme and extend available Government Guarantee under Price Support Scheme for this operation to the Central Procuring Agency i.e. NAFED, for working capital.
However, the order said, this will be a one-time measure.
The scheme was launched in September this year by then Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in view of restrictions in the Kashmir valley following abrogation of special Constitutional provisions of the erstwhile State of J&K and its bifurcation into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Militants had targeted the apple growers and fruit-laden trucks to stop transportation of apples from Kashmir to other parts of the country prompting the Government to intervene and introduce Market Intervention Scheme to help the apple growers.
The plan is being implemented by the Directorate of Planning and Marketing, supported by the Directorate of Horticulture (Kashmir) and Jammu and Kashmir Horticultural Produce, Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd.
Under the scheme, apple produce is being procured and marketed by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), and apple growers are getting more remuneration for various grades of the fruit.
At the time of its launch, Malik had said with a turnover of Rs 8,000 crore per year and close to seven lakh families directly and indirectly associated with it, the Horticulture sector in the Kashmir valley needed focused attention on providing every possible support to the growers, right from their orchards to the market.
“With the launch of the scheme, many issues relating to grading of apples, procurement, storage and marketing will be taken care of by the Government,” he had said.
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