Fruit growers of Kashmir have petitioned Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking implementation of Crop Insurance Scheme for the horticulture industry, imposition of over 100 per cent import duty on American and European apples, and reintroduction of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), according to a 14-point memorandum submitted by Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union (KVFGCDU).

The eight-member delegation, led by Chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer, met Chouhan at a hotel in Srinagar on Monday evening during the Union Minister's two-day visit to the Valley.

The delegation apprised the Union Minister that fruit growers benefited greatly from the Market Intervention Scheme, which has been shelved for several years, and appealed for its reintroduction in the interest of marginal fruit growers and the horticulture industry.

The memorandum sought implementation of the Crop Insurance Scheme for Horticulture Industry, stating that while the scheme was announced by the government, it has not been implemented so far. "Its implementation will prove a lifeline for marginal fruit growers of the Valley at the time of natural disaster," it reads, appealing for implementation on the analogy of the agriculture sector.

The growers demanded imposition of over 100 per cent import duty on American and European apples, noting that the horticulture industry is the backbone and main contributor to J&K's economy, with more than 7 lakh families directly or indirectly dependent on it. "The reduction of import duty from 50 per cent to 25 per cent under the Free Trade Agreement does not meet the essential requirements of fruit growers," the memorandum states.

The memorandum included demands for establishment of a separate horticulture estate on the pattern of industrial estates for CA stores, cold stores, canning factories, and juice plants with single window system; establishment of a separate horticulture university for North Kashmir; disease-free plantation in the horticulture sector; financial provision for implementation of the Cleaning Plant Programme at Wadoora, Sopore; establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendra for Baramulla district; setting up of about 200 CA and cold stores in south and North Kashmir on a society basis with subsidy facility; prioritised transportation of perishable fruits including cherry, plum, and pear on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway; rejuvenation of fruit orchards; and restoration of the top-up subsidy scheme for CA stores in Pulwama and Shopian.

Bashir Ahmad Basheer told Rising Kashmir that they received positive feedback from the Union Minister, who replied to every issue raised by them. "The Union Minister also provided his personal contact number to us and asked us to contact him anytime for any assistance or query. He is now just a call away from us," Basheer said.

Source - http://risingkashmir.com