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New Delhi, Jun 11 (UNI) With overall law and order situation improving and normalcy prevailing once again, exports from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is likely to exceed Rs 1,500 crore in the current fiscal against Rs 1,150 crore in the previous fiscal, industry body Assocham said today.

The state is poised to attract over 10 lakh tourists and increased export turnover of handicrafts, sports and leather goods etc, it added.

The chamber's preliminary findings reveal that about six lakh tourists visited the J&K valley and its tourists destinations for recreation, skiing, trekking and visiting the state in the last fiscal.

The state, in the last few months, received roughly about two lakh tourist arrivals in 2007, as a result of restoration of normalcy.

''The trend will continue as gradually things will improve and with it, the expected tourist arrivals will exceed a minimum of 10 lakh number by end of March 31, 2008,'' said Assocham President Venugopal N Dhoot.

In 2005-06, the tourist arrivals in J&K was less than three lakh.

The Chamber also holds that given the present infrastructure, there may not be any problem in accommodating the tourist arrivals this summer in tented accommodation, although several big hotels are also coming up in the valley.

With better law and order situation, industrial activities have started commencing and its reflection has been noticed particularly in exports of various Kashmiri goods such as handicrafts, sports goods, walnuts, wooden furnitures, leather goods, software, silk and silk products.

The annual turnover in 2005 was estimated at Rs 900 crore, which shot up by Rs 250 crore in the following year and is expected to go over Rs 1,500 crore by end of current fiscal, Mr Dhoot added.

The other areas in which the usual industrial activities will resume in the state on a large scale include exports for fresh and dry fruits like apples, almonds and walnuts which has already brought in a revenue of Rs 2,100 crore in 2007 against Rs 1,900 crore in the preceding year.

Saffron is another product whose exports potential is tremendous in the valley as 3,000 hectares of land is under its cultivation with annual production of nine tonnes. Of this, six tonnes are exported every year.

With its popularity gaining in not only in domestic and international markets, the area for saffron production might go over 4,000 hectares to enhance its production to 14 tonnes per annum in next three to four years, of which nearly 10 tonnes of saffron would have potential for export markets because of its growing demand, said Mr Dhoot.

He said the pharmaceutical companies would be setting up chains of their small and medium sized manufacturing units in the state because of incentives that is provided by the state government because of conducive environment.

UNI