Leh: The first-ever international buyer-seller meet on the export of apricot and other agricultural products was held here on Tuesday with Lt Governor R K Mathur advising entrepreneurs and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to position the Union Territory as primary sector production destination.
Mathur expressed hope that the meet would facilitate the buyers and sellers to discuss issues such as the need for adequate technologies and logistic support and come up with possible solutions.
Organised by the administration of the Union Territory in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the meet was attended by Member of Parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and APEDA chairman Madhaiyaan Angamuthu, among others, an official spokesperson said.
The Lt Governor said the buyer-seller meet is a joint effort to create an ecosystem to provide products from Ladakh the market they deserve and also provide an opportunity to entrepreneurs and FPOs from Ladakh to grow.
Mathur said that the primary sector has great potential to develop entrepreneurs from Ladakh and stressed on the need for growth in this sector.
“The produce from Ladakh such as Halman and Raktsey Karpo varieties of apricot, sea buckthorn and apples are unique and cannot be produced in any other part of the country. A high-quality niche product from Ladakh may be produced in low volumes and sold at high prices in the market,” he said.
The process for Geographical Indication (GI) tagging of Halman and Raktsey Karpo varieties of apricots and sea buckthorn from Ladakh has already started, he said and suggested that GI tagging of apples from Ladakh may also be processed due to its uniqueness and growth at a high altitude.
He advised the entrepreneurs to position Ladakh as a primary sector production destination and stressed on the need for promoting and bringing medicinal plants and horticulture products indigenous to Ladakh before the whole world.
He also advised the entrepreneurs and FPOs to maintain the quality of their products and engage in commercial production of medicinal and nutraceutical plants, sanjeevani and sea buckthorn on large fields.
Mathur termed the primary sector as critical for Ladakh as a lot of people from rural households are engaged in this sector for their livelihood.
The Lt Governor requested APEDA and buyers for their continued support for the development of entrepreneurs and FPOs and also for promoting products from Ladakh in national and international markets.
He also interacted with the export producers, FPOs and exhibitors from Ladakh and inquired about the issues faced by them and technological interventions required to increase the shelf life of the products.
Angamuthu highlighted Ladakh’s potential in horticulture, agriculture and food processing sectors due to its uniqueness.
He said APEDA would provide handholding, capacity-building training, assist in creating linkages, providing infrastructure and logistics support to entrepreneurs and FPOs from Ladakh.
APEDA will make efforts to build a brand image for products from Ladakh, particularly apricot, apples, sea buckthorn and medicinal plants, he said.
GI tagging of apples from Ladakh may be processed soon: LG Mathur at UT’s first buyer-seller meet on agri product
