New Delhi, Feb 12 : In a significant step towards expanding market access for Jammu and Kashmir’s famed horticulture sector, the Department of Horticulture Planning and Marketing, J&K on Thursday organised a dedicated Buyer–Seller Meet at Hotel Samrat here, bringing together growers from all 20 districts of the Union Territory with leading wholesale buyers from across the country.
Eighty progressive farmers and traders, facilitated by the department, directly engaged with bulk purchasers from Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, and traders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Hyderabad dealing in fresh fruits, dry fruits, vegetables, pulses, and processed products.
Officials said the exercise is aimed at reducing intermediation and enabling better price realisation for growers back home.
Director Horticulture Planning and Marketing, J&K, Ghulam Jeelani Zargar, delivered a comprehensive presentation highlighting the distinctive quality parameters of the UT’s produce and its growing export potential.
Among those who addressed the gathering were APEDA General Manager Vinita Sudhanshu, Regional Manager Sehreen, Deputy Agricultural Marketing Advisor (DMI) B. K. Prushty, Deputy Director NHB, and representatives from FICCI and CA store operators. They stressed upon the need for value chain strengthening, export facilitation, and stronger institutional backing for J&K’s horticulture stakeholders.
Participating farmers and traders expressed strong satisfaction with the initiative and urged the department to organise such interactions at regular intervals, noting that direct buyer-seller dialogue remains critical to enhancing income opportunities for the region’s farming community.