Every district to get Centre of Excellence: Javid Dar

Jammu, Aug 06: The Department of Horticulture, Planning and Marketing, Jammu and Kashmir, today organised a Buyer-Seller Meet under the theme “Connecting Farmers with markets”, at Convention Centre, Canal. Road, with the objective of strengthening the market linkages and promoting agri-business partnerships within the Union Territory’s flourishing horticulture sector.According to a statement issued here, the event was chaired by Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments, Javid Ahmed Dar.The meet brought together a diverse range of stakeholders including prominent horticulture growers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, exporters, agri-entrepreneurs and representatives of organized retail chains from across the country. It served as a vibrant platform for direct engagement between buyers and sellers, aiming to enhance transparency, ensure better price realization and open up new market avenues for J&K’s premium horticultural produce such as Apples, Walnuts, Basmati Rice, Cherries, Pecannuts, Pears and Apricots.The event featured focused B2B interactions, technical sessions and knowledge-sharing discussions on topics like “Export potential of horticultural produce, Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Integration with e-market platforms like e-NAM, Innovations in packaging and logistics.”The department reiterated its commitment towards empowering the stakeholders through targeted training, capacity-building programs, and facilitation of market access at both national and international levels.This initiative is part of the UT Government’s broader vision to strengthen horticulture-based livelihoods and boost the agri-economy of Jammu and Kashmir by creating a market-driven and sustainable ecosystem.Javid Dar appreciated the initiatives taken by the department to boost the horticulture sector in J&K. He advised the participants to avail the benefits of various schemes launched by the Government for betterment of growers and buyers of J&K.The Minister said that the government is very keen to uplift the Horticulture sector for the uplift of the economy of Growers of J&K. It shall continue to explore the possibilities for launching similar flagship programs to boost the Horticulture/Agriculture sector.The Minister assured that every district  will have Centre of Excellence, which   will provide farmers with access to modern technology, expertise and resources. He directed  the concerned  officers to focus on  developing  rainfed  areas   in various  sectors  like horticulture, Agriculture,  Animal  Husbandry to prevent  migration due to livelihoods.