FIL Industries teams up with French company to produce high-density apple for farmers

Shopian, Feb 14: In a significant development for the agricultural sector, FIL Group of Industries has teamed up with a French company to introduce elite varieties of high-density apple to farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttrakhand.
The announcement of this collaboration came during a one-day Kisan Mela at Mega Fruit Mandi Aglar in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday.
The newly formed venture, FILAVAL NURSERIES Pvt. Ltd., is a joint endeavour between FIL Industries Private Limited and the French companies DALIVAL and FIATS.
Parvaiz Ahmad Rather, Technical Field Manager at FIL Industries, elucidated that DALIVAL is renowned in Europe for exporting high-density planting material to various countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia, while FIATS specializes in post-harvest management.
According to Parvaiz, the venture aims to import quality rootstock from France and establish a stool bed nursery in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Through grafting and budding techniques, various high-density apple varieties will be developed in the nursery,” Parvaiz said, adding that the venture plans to set up a mother tree orchard to ensure a steady supply of planting material and demonstration orchards across the region.
Parvaiz revealed that the venture currently has approximately 126,000 planting materials under quarantine in Poonch district of Jammu division.
“These materials are scheduled for release by November, pending approval from relevant authorities,” he said, adding that several demonstration orchards will be established to showcase the authenticity of various high-density varieties.
Emphasising the significance of rootstock, Parvaiz urged farmers to verify the authenticity of the rootstock before selecting a particular apple variety.
He stated that rootstock holds greater importance than the variety itself and assured that their varieties undergo rigorous research and development.
Parvaiz highlighted that around 65 new varieties are currently under trial at DALIVAL’s research centre in France, with many of them geared towards export markets due to international demand.
FIL Industries also revealed its collaboration with Kimitech, a Spanish company specializing in bio -stimulants, pesticides, and probiotics.
Syed Junaid Bukhari, Executive Director of FIL Industries, unveiled seven new products, including fungicides, insecticides, nutrient supplements, and bio-stimulants, catering to the agricultural sector.