Srinagar 29 July (KNB): On the instructions of Advisor Farooq Ahmad Khan and Principal Secretary Agriculture Production & Farmer’s Welfare Department Navin Kumar Chowdhary, the Directorate of Agriculture Kashmir signed a tripartite agreement with Jammu Kashmir Horticulture Produce and Marketing Corporation (JKHPMC) and Dragon Super Mart Leh (Union Territory of Ladakh), regarding the supply of various food articles to the UT of Ladakh.
A statement issued to news agency Kashmir News Bureau said that as per the agreement, the Agriculture department shall ensure assured supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, honey, rice (Muskbudji/ Red rice/ Meetha chawal) and Trout fish to the UT of Ladakh.
In this connection a meeting was held at Leh Ladakh and a tripartite agreement was signed.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal who signed the agreement on behalf of Agriculture Production & Farmer’s Welfare Department Kashmir said that considering the challenging conditions of Ladakh areas both in terms of extreme weather conditions and road connectivity Department of Agriculture, JKHPMC and Dragon Super Mart Leh made this collaborative initiative in the areas of supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, honey, rice and trout fish.
This initiative will have a symbolic impact on overall scenario, on one hand it will ensure the supply of fresh vegetables, fruits and other agriculture commodities to the people of UT of Ladakh especially during the period when surface connectivity to Ladakh remains affected and on the other hand it will contribute to the socio economics of the farmers of UT of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
The agreement was signed on behalf of JKHPMC by MD JKHPMC Shafat Sultan and on behalf of Dragon Super Mart Leh, it was signed by Ghulam Mohiuddin.
Pertinent to mention, the Directorate of Agriculture Kashmir and JKHPMC have signed a memorandum of undersigned on 18 January, 2021 regarding the optimisation of fresh fruits and vegetable supply chains vis-à-vis fresh vegetables, grown in the temperate climate of Kashmir for the larger benefit of farmer community of Kashmir valley.
The meeting was attended by MD JKHPMC Shafat Sultan, representative of Dragon Super Mart Leh, Joint Director Agriculture Mohammad Qasim Gani, Chief Agriculture Officer, Leh, Tashi TSetan and other senior officers. (KNB)