SRINAGAR- Principal Secretary, Horticulture Department, Navin Kumar Choudhary chaired a preparatory meeting for implementation of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for Apple.
The meeting was attended by Director Horticulture, Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, Director Horticulture (P&M), J&K, Imam Din, Managing Director, J&K HPMC, Shafat Sultan, senior officer from National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and officer from National Horticulture Board (NHB).
Choudhary impressed upon all the officers involved in implementation of the scheme to ensure that the basic purpose of buying apple from the growers at their doorsteps with immediate payment directly to the bank accounts of the apple growers shall be fulfilled smoothly. He said that the apple will be procured from the growers/aggregators at Fruit Mandies situated in Sopore, Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag and Srinagar. He directed the concerned officers to immediately establish the necessary infrastructure at the designated Collection Centres.
Under the Scheme, Directorate of Horticulture, Kashmir will be Nodal Agency for the transportation and registration issues while the Directorate of Horticulture (P&M) shall be the Nodal Agency for procurement and Mandi issues.
In order to streamline the procurement process, Price Fixation Committee was constituted with Director Horticulture, Kashmir, Director Horticulture (P&M) J&K, Managing Director, J&K HPMC and representatives of NAFED and NHB as its members.
The Principal Secretary directed the Price Fixation Committee to hold its first meeting to finalize the prices for various grades and varieties of apple within the next two days. He further directed them to encourage the use of Kisan Rath Application for transportation of procured material in the first instance. In case of non availability or lack of response through Kisan Rath, Committees have been constituted, drawing officers from Horticulture Department, Transport Department and NAFED to finalise the transport rates.
For each of the designated Procurement Centre, a Quality Control/Grading Committee has also been constituted.
During the meeting, the Principal Secretary instructed the District Administration of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Baramulla and Srinagar to ensure proper security to Procurement Centres and procure apple. He further directed to create registration quarters at all the Procurement Centres.
Director Horticulture, Kashmir has been tasked to immediately start the registration of growers under the scheme on the web portal of NAFED.
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