Srinagar, Oct 28: Emphasizing for improving quality of fruits to increase market share, Minister for Horticulture Shamlal Sharma has said the government has taken a big initiative for setting up new Fruit Mandies and cold storage facilities in the state.
 The Minister was addressing to orchard owners and farmers after inaugurating one day fruit show organized by Horticulture Department, here today.
 Minister of State for Horticulture, Agriculture, R&B,   Javed Ahmad Dar, Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal,   Showkat Ahmad, Director Horticulture,   Ghulam Hassan Shah, Director, Agriculture, Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Lone, Director Centre for Institute of Temprate Horticulture,   Nazir Ahmad, Managing Director, JKHPMC, Director. NRHM, Dr. Yeshpal Sharma, Director, ISM, Dr. Abdul Kabir, Dr. T.K.Moza, Director, Family Welfare were present on the occasion.
 Sham said the State has vast potential in horticulture sector, adding the need is to improve the quality of fruits to tap it fully and increase marketability.
 The Minister said the state is producing 22.50 lakh MT fruit annually and this year State’s fruit export is expected to touch 4000 MTs.   He said first time fruit of the State has been taken to Mandies of Himachal Pradesh and urged growers to work for increasing market share in the State, an official statement said.
 Sharma said that apart from establishing new fruit mandies, the Government has renovated existing ones to facilitate the trade of fruit growers. He said Rs. 6 crore are being expending on introducing drip irrigation system while Rs. 2 crore have been released during current fiscal. He said efforts are on to improve further the working of horticulture including JKHPMC.
 The Minister said that such fruit shows would also be held on other parts of the country.
  Javed, while speaking on the occasion, said that nothing is impossible and difficult provided there is strong initiative and indomitable will. He asked growers to apply new technologies for which government is providing adequate subsidy on purchase of equipment and machinery.
 The Minister said that giving free hand to officers of horticulture department in taking decisions has yielded encouraging results. He said the department has achieved a lot during past 3 years, adding the floriculture sector is emerging a new profitable commercial activity in the State. He asked farmers to take up floriculture as business activity a viable mean of income.
 The Minister went round the stalls established by the fruit growers of the Valley and interacted with growers.
Earlier, the Director Horticulture, Shah in his well-come address gave detailed resume of the functioning of the department and the measures being taken to enhance the production and for the welfare of fruit growers.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST