36 Fruit , Vegetable Markets To Be Developed Across State
19 May, Srinagar
As many as 36 fruit and vegetable markets are being developed across Jammu and Kashmir to overcome marketing challenges in horticulture and vegetable sectors while a cold storage unit with a capacity of 5,000 metric tons will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22 crore at Parimpora mandi in Srinagar.
State Horticulture Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, while interacting with the traders and fruit growers during his visit to the Parimpora Fruit Mandi, said it would be developed on modern lines with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
He said cold storage unit with a capacity of 5,000 metric tons would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22 crore in the Mandi besides the mandi would be modernized at a cost of Rs 12 crore.
The Minister said the government contemplates to create a cold chain for preserving the fruit and vegetables in the fruit mandis of the state. Assuring that concerted steps would be taken to refurbish the Parimpora Fruit Mandi, Veeri said a guest house would also be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore in the Mandi.
He said the Government has initiated innovative measures to give further boost to states horticulture sector. We want to put in place a robust post-harvest infrastructural mechanism, for which there is a need to increase the cold storage capacity, he said and added that post-harvest management is being strengthened with the use of controlled-atmosphere stores, packaging and grading centers, and better marketing facilities. For this purpose, a provision of Rs 4 crore has been made during the current fiscal, he said.
The Minister also had a meeting with the representatives of New Kashmir Fruit Association and officers of Horticulture Marketing and Planning Department, where several issues related to development of the fruit mandi were discussed.
The Minister directed the authorities concerned for repairs and renovation of link roads besides black-topping of the mandis interior roads on priority. He also called for immediate repairs of high mast lights and restoration of dewatering pumps in the mandi.
He directed maintenance of proper sanitation in the mandi and asked Director Marketing and Planning to take up the matter immediately with the Municipal authorities. Veeri also directed the authorities concerned for demarcation and fencing of fruit mandi area and to be proactive and redress the problems of fruit growers and traders well in time.