Shopian, Feb 20 : Farmers from various areas of Shopian district anticipate integrated clusters to give a boost to the local apple industry.
The farmers showed optimism that the establishment of the Apple Cluster in Shopian will give a boost to quality and production.
“The integrated cluster will lead to improvisation in marketing of Shopian apples,” orchardists said.
Mohammed Ashraf, an apple grower from Shopian, informed Rising Kashmir that apple clusters will offer multiple services to apple growers from high density plant material, storage facility to market linkage.
“This will surely benefit apple farmers of the area ,” he said.
The apple cluster in Shopian will be developed under Cluster Development Programme ( CDP) by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare ( MoA&FW), Government of India.
Authorities said that National Horticulture Board ( NHB) has been designated as nodal agency for implementation of CDP.
They informed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has identified 55 horticulture clusters throughout the country.
They added that out of these horticulture clusters, 12 will be launched on a pilot basis.
Joint Director, National Horticulture Board ( NHB), R K Agarwal, informed Rising Kashmir that one of the 12 clusters on pilot basis is coming up at Shopian district of South Kashmir.
He added that FIL Industries, which has prior experience in the sector, has been engaged in developing the apple cluster in Shopian.
He said that establishment of apple clusters will help in improving facilities available to farmers with intention to augment production and enhance marketing avenues.
“CDP helps in addressing issues common to farmers of a geographical area,” he said.
Authorities revealed that the apple cluster in Shopian will have three verticals which include preproduction and production vertical, postharvest and value addition vertical and logistics, marketing and branding vertical.
“Different facilities will be created under these three verticals,” authorities said, adding that all these facilities will be available to farmers under a single roof.
