Srinagar, March 6: PHDCCI Kashmir chapter’s Agriculture, Horticulture and Agribussiness Expert Committee today visited Lassipora Growth Centre, held a meeting with the unit holders there and discussed the current issues and growth opportunities.
The meeting was chaired by A P Vicky Shaw Chair PHDCCI Kashmir. The other members who attended the meeting was General Convenor Bilal Kawoosa, Haleem Bhat, Er Bilal Ahmad Bhat and Expert Committee Co-Convenors Nasir Rather and Fayaz Ahmad Bhat.
At the onset of the meeting, Vicky Shaw Chair PHDCCI Kashmir extended his gratitude for hosting the expert committee meeting at lassipora and, thereafter, he invited the stakeholders to list the possible challenges of the agribusiness sector and suggest a way forward, while highlighting the initiatives taken by the government he further added that the the UT Adminsitartion led by LG Manoj Sinha have taken comprehensive measures for the development of agriculture and allied sectors and also Prof. Mangla Rai-led committee has done a tremendous job by suggesting a number of measures through a comprehensive report to increase the production, quality in the UT to raise the farmers income.
Mr Ubair while highlighting the various issues said that there is a need to discuss the supply chain of apple sector in Kashmir and he along with his co convenors explained the issues which are affecting it. Committee further also suggested the corresponding mitigation strategies to overcome the identified issues and challenges. The Committee devised a strategy for apple produce to reach their destinations with tailored air freight forwarding services and also to facilitate smooth flow of fruit-laden trucks on Srinagar-Jammu NH44. Er Bilal Bhat Suggested that the authorities should be asked for direct road Connectivity of Lassipora industrial estate to NH44 and nearby railway cargo Terminal and also there should be construction of special apple transport corridor for kashmir region that would provide special passage and will ensure timely transportation of perishable crop to markets outside the Kashmir, the committee also proposed for Grid Connected Rooftop Solar (RTS) Scheme for CA Stores.
Later the members had a detailed visit of SuperFresh Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Cold Storage facility of Mr Ubair that is providing the post-harvest and state of the art grading & packing facility to apples growers. The facility is of advance technology in CA with multiple chambers storage facility for fruits and vegetables.
Members also visited the pencil manufacturing unit of pencil slates for Hindustan Pencils ltd owned by Co Convenor Fayaz Bhat and also his Veneer Plywood Industry was visited. It was decided that the expert committee will work towards skill enhancement of local manpower in CA storage, Pencil Manufacturing, Plywood manufacturing and will impart the skill to the local youth for creating the livelihood avenues.
