APEDA launches initiatives to popularise agricultural produce from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh

The Agricultural and Processed Food stuff Solutions Export Enhancement Authority (APEDA) has begun a handful of initiatives to popularise some of the unique agricultural solutions from the union territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Lakadh these types of as the fragrant rice selection Mushkbudji, Acacia honey and Kashmir valley apples.

Currently, industrial shipments of Ladakh Halman apricots from Leh to Dubai have begun for the first time during August-September, with the exports becoming managed by local business owners from Kargil.

A push launch from the Commerce Ministry, underneath which APEDA functions, said samples of Mushkbudji rice and Acacia honey were despatched in August to Dubai, Oman and other West Asian marketplaces. Samples of apples produced in the Kashmir valley have also been despatched to the similar marketplaces.

Common provides of this develop to West Asia will get started once the export price chain is set up, it said.

APEDA, which has the mandate to advertise agricultural exports from the a few union territories, has also taken the initiative to sensitise growers, exporters, authorities officers and other stakeholders on specifications underneath the National Programme for Organic and natural Manufacturing (NPOP). This is crucial for exports to select up.

This has resulted in Kashmir Saffron, a GI tag product, becoming delivered to Dubai and other West Asia marketplaces during March-April this calendar year and the Mishri selection of Kashmir valley cherries to Dubai during June-July. The cherries are having repeat export orders, the launch said.

In addition to, product samples of seabuckthorn these types of as juice, pulp, concentrate, oil and organic fusion tea were presented to Indian corporate food items producers for progress of solutions for the domestic and abroad marketplaces final month. The solutions may possibly consider some time to launch in the intercontinental food items market place, the launch said.

APEDA sensitised officers of seed certification, the Directorate of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technological know-how (SKUAST) of Srinagar and Jammu Areas for their convergence into the Organic and natural Certification Agency underneath NPOP during July 2021.

The authority signed memorandums of knowledge with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technological know-how and Jammu & Kashmir Trade Advertising Organisation (JKTPO) for technical guidance and marketing activities, for maximizing efficiency and marketing of prospective solutions from the region.

The launch said thinking about the prospective and forthcoming need to have of export infrastructure for the region, APEDA took up the problem of extensive export logistics specifications for the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Central Warehousing Corporation and other involved departments in July 2021 for creation of customs clearance facility, clean X-ray and dealing with of perishable commodities and issuance of Phytosanitary Certification facility at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports.

APEDA also organised digital buyer-seller meets in Jammu and Kashmir locations to make enterprise enquiries and 34 stakeholders from Kashmir and 25 stakeholders from Jammu participated in the satisfy.

APEDA has also developed and presented a draft Agri Export Program for the Kashmir valley and Jammu division, other than identifying prospective export solutions these types of as apple, cherry, walnut, honey, saffron, rice and gucchi.

The union territory of Ladakh is in the approach of establishing an agri export strategy covering prospective export solutions these types of as seabuckthorn and apricots.

APEDA prepared a stakeholders’ consultation involving begin-ups, business owners, cooperatives, FPOs, FPCs, UT officers, involved officers from the agriculture college, KVKs, ICAR institutions to increase export of prospective solutions from the UT of Jammu and Kashmir during September 2021, the launch said.

APEDA also co-organised a Vanijya Utsav in Leh during September 21-22, in which discussions on linking solutions from the union territory to the intercontinental market place were held with the stakeholders, the launch additional.