No compromise on fruit quality: J&K Horticulture Minister

Srinagar, Aug 28 (UNI) To withstand stiff market competition in the liberal trade regime, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Horticulture, Mohammad Dilawar Mir called for immediate implementation of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) to ensure export of standard packaging and grading of fruits outside the state.

He also ordered starting of procurement of C-grade fruit under MIS from today starting from Fruit Mandi, Sopore adding that sale of mixed grades of fruit brings bad name to the world famous fruit industry in the market.

The Minister was speaking at a high-level meeting here to review pace of progress on development of Fruit Mandi, Sopore in north Kashmir as Model Terminal Fruit Mandi.

The Minister directed the officers and field agencies of Horticulture and Horticulture (Planning and Marketing) departments to make all the 125 fruit procurement centres fully functional so that fruit growers could sell their C-grade fruit and export only A-grade fruits to external State terminal mandies of the country.

Mr Mir called upon the fruit growers and traders community to avail benefits of the MIS, which provides market support to the fruit growers, adding that no compromise on quality control of fruit would be allowed.

He said unscrupulous traders would be brought to book for any attempt to misuse the MIS scheme.

He said fruits bought under MIS should not be allowed to be carried outside the state in loose packs.

The meeting informed that work on development of Terminal Fruit Mandi, Sopore at a cost of Rs 18.65 Crores is apace.

The mandi would comprise of about 600 shops sites whereas work on 10 auction sheds has been already completed. The mandi shall have all modern communication and information facilities like computer and internet connectivity, banking and post office, a three-storied guest house facility for outside buyers.

The Minister directed the concerned agencies to speed up work on improvement of inner roads, drinking water and electric facilities in and around fruit mandi.

UNI