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Bhopal : Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the hard work of farmers has become the basis of the economy in the difficult conditions of Corona. The rich foodgrain production in the state last year has strengthened not only the state but also the country. The state government is making every effort to double the income of the farmers. By combining Farming-Animal Husbandry-Horticulture-Fisheries, diversification of crops through Cooperatives, food processing, packaging and proper marketing the state’s products will make splash not only in the country but all over the world. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was addressing the state level Mission Earth Programme at Minto Hall on completion of one year of Madhya Pradesh government.
Nafed has ambitious plan for J&K horticulture: MD
MoU: NAFED to cover 5,500 hectares at a cost of Rs 1,700 crore in 5 yrs
During the inaugural function of Horti Expo 2021 event, Nafed Managing Director Sanjeev Chadha spoke at length about the plans of the agriculture cooperative for development of horticulture in Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was inaugurated by Manoj Sinha, Lt. Governor, J & K at the Police Auditorium in Gulshan Ground in the valley recently.
On the occasion, Chadha apprised the audience of the recent MoU signed between Nafed and Government of Jammu and Kashmir for the development of horticulture. Under this MoU, the NAFED will cover 5,500 hectares at a cost of Rs 1,700 crore in the next five years with a major focus on apple, walnut, cherry, pear and other significant horticulture produce.
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The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), a cooperatives focused organisation under the Union Agriculture Ministry has roped in ICAR’s Institutions and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in 116 blocks for formation and promotion of Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) in the country under a central scheme, says a press release issued by NCDC.
Of the total 717 KVKs which have spread across India, 468 are under the administrative control of state agricultural universities, 65 under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and 22 under central agricultural universities in the country.
As per the NCDC, ICAR Institutes and KVK’s in 116 blocks will work as Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) under the Central Scheme which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year with an aim to bring small and marginal farmers into production value chains and help them boost their income.
Bitter Harvest
The political turmoil of the past eighteen months has hit Kashmir’s apple industry hard. The entry of the NAFED and the import of duty-free Iranian apples through the Afghanistan route is being seen as interventions that will upset the apple-cart further, reports
Yawar Hussain
A local worker packing apples. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur
When Jammu and Kashmir administration signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) in January 2020, it was expected to promote the state’s horticulture produce and take it to the global market. A year later, the NAFED has done little to help the apple farmers. On the contrary, it has shaken up the already smooth and profitably functioning decades-old setup of the Rs 9000 crore worth horticulture industry. The entry of duty-free Iranian apples through the Afghanistan route has only further detracted from the profitability of the apple.