Says 9000 MTs of c-grade apple being procured from fruit growers
SRINAGAR: Minister for Horticulture, Mr Abdul Rehman Veeri enjoined upon officers and field agencies of Horticulture Planning and Marketing to redouble their efforts for 100 per cent achievement of targets fixed under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to procure c-grade fruit from fruit growers.
This was stated by the Minister while reviewing progress on implementation of MIS at a meeting here Friday, the Minister said that the scheme has been re-introduced to provide market support to fruit growers for c-grade fruit with twin objective of improving grading and packaging of fruit which he said was imperative to withstand stiff market competition.
The Minister said in phase I MIS has been launched in Sopore, Shopian and Dachinipora, Anantnag to provide support price to fruit growers and to eliminate exploitation by middlemen and also to encourage fruit processing units in the State.
Commissioner Secretary Agriculture production, Mr M A Bukhari, Director Horticulture Planning and Marketing, Hakim Rafiq Ahmad, Director Horticulture, Kashmir, Mr Pawan Kumar Sharma, Director Planning Agriculture, CHOs and AMOs of Baramulla, Shopian and Anantnag Districts besides other concerned officers attended the meeting.
Receiving an appraisal about present status of procurement of c-grade apple from concerned AMOs, the Minister said that department of Horticulture (P&M) should pool its resources to procure 9000 metric tons of Apple fixed for the current year, adding that any laxity in this regard would be viewed seriously. He said government has brought Apple Hub Sopore, Shopian and Dachinipora in Kashmir under the ambit of MIS and Apple from Kashmir should be procured under the scheme expeditiously.
The Minister directed law enforcement agencies to ensure quality control of fruit adding that low and inferior quality fruit should not allowed to be transported outside the State which brings bad name to Jammu & Kashmir, famous for its delicious fruits world over.
The Minister directed concerned for conducting random checking of fruit laden trucks to ensure quality of export from the State to other terminal fruit markets of the country.
The Minister also called upon fruit growers and traders to avail benefits under MIS, which provides market support to growers, adding that no compromise on quality control of fruit would be allowed. Fruits bought under the scheme should not be allowed to be carried outside the State in loose packs, he said.
Motivate growers and traders to ensure quality of fruit, especially apple to fetch attractive returns for their produce, Veeri instructed officers and added that in present era of competition quality control is must. We need to focus on this vital area to maintain credibility of States horticulture produce, he said.
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