In a major relief to apple growers of Jammu and Kashmir, 50 percent of transport from cold chains or orchards to markets and storage in cold chains would be borne by the Government.
Taking to KNS, Director Horticulture Kashmir Aijaz Ahmed Bhat said that Prime Minister has waived off all the early riders of the scheme for greater benefit to the farmers. “This is historical and beneficial order for apple growers, no binding in quantity, distance and rate now. All growers qualify for storage and transport subsidy of 50 percent.
” He added, “now under Atma Nirbar Bharat AbhiyanIInd, farmer/Growers, can claim for transport and storage subsidy in cold stores. This policy by GOI is only for Apple and for J&K. Horticulture/NAFED is designated as Nodal agency for its implementation.”
Director Horticulture said that it was a long pending demand of the growers and would go a long way in fetching them better returns of their produce.
The Horticulture Director has issued guidelines to district officers for registration of the orchadists in their respective areas.
Meanwhile Director Horticulture today convened a meeting which was also attended by S. K. Singh, Additional Managing Director-NAFED, New Delhi, CA Store Owners Association, Members of Fruit Growers Association, Fruit Growers and the Officers of Horticulture Department.
During the meeting, Director Horticulture gave a brief resume of Horticulture sector in Kashmir Division with regards to pre and post-harvest interventions taken by the Department. Director Horticulture thanked Prime Minister and UT government for making modification in guidelines of the Atma Nirbhar Scheme II. scheme for incorporating maximum fruit growers to receive the subsidy benefit for transportation and storage of the Apple fruit crops maximum famers
S K Singh gave the introduction of operation “Top to Total” for its implementation in J&K through NAFED, which is being implemented under Atma Nirbhar Scheme II. There was a threadbare discussion on the implementation of the scheme right from its registration process to the disbursement of subsidy transfer in the direct accounts of the farmers/growers on transportation of fruits and its storage. President JKPECA, President Fruit Association and other officers took an active part during the discussion on its implementation. Department of Horticulture Kashmir and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India shall be the Nodal agency of the scheme for its implementation. Besides farmers can register on the official website http://hortikashmir.gov.in. In the second session, Director Horticulture took review of the schemes implemented by the Department of Horticulture like MIDH, PMDP and CAPEX. It was impressed upon all Officers to speed up the implementation of the schemes so that the funds released are utilized in full without any fail. Any deviation in this regard will be acceptable and the Officers who will not expenditures in their jurisdictions in full, a disciplinary will be taken against the defaulters.