Srinagar, Feb 10: JKHPMC has started the process of developing Shopian as an ‘Apple Cluster’, recently approved by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) at an estimated cost of Rs 138 crore, under Cluster Development Programme (CDP).
The letter of acceptance in this regard has been issued by the Ministry in favour of JKHPMC with M/s FIL Industries Limited, as the implementing Agency with technical support by National Horticulture Board (NHB).
In this regard, the NHB’s team from New Delhi were on a two-day visit to Srinagar and Shopian on February 9 to 10 for finalizing the components to be set up by FIL Industries in the Apple Cluster, under the programme.
The team of HMB comprising Joint Director, NHB, R.K Agarwal; Dy. Director NHB (J&K Chapter), Sansar Ahmad and other officers held a joint meeting with JKHPMC officers and representatives of FIL industries to finalising the components.
The team alongwith officers of JKHPMC, during the visit, also visited Shopian and called on Deputy Commissioner Shopian and apprised him about the land required for developing nurseries in the Shopian Cluster. During the interaction, DC Shopian expressed satisfaction with the programme and assured JKHPMC that the district would make available the required land banks for the optimum implementation of the programme.
The NHB team also visited FIL Industries facilities at Rangreth, Srinagar and assessed the requirements under the CDP.
Pertinently, the programme has to be executed with respect to three end-to-end verticals, viz; Pre-production and production, post production & value addition and logistics and marketing in a span of four years.
