SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said Jammu and Kashmir must create a new generation of exporters and diversify its export basket to achieve the target of doubling exports by 2030, while calling for a dry port in the Union Territory to simplify export procedures and ensure its exports are officially credited to the region.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Jammu and Kashmir International Buyer-Seller Meet in Srinagar, Omar, said the Union Government’s target of doubling exports by 2030 leaves Jammu and Kashmir with only four years to significantly expand its export base.
“We have to support those who are already exporting, but at the same time, we need to create exporters out of people who are not exporting today. Their markets are presently confined to Jammu and Kashmir or, at best, some parts of the country. Our effort is to make exporting easier for them,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the Buyer-Seller Meet was significant as it brought together international buyers, exporters, manufacturers, artisans and self-help groups on a common platform to explore new markets.
Recalling Jammu and Kashmir’s traditional trading model, Omar said the region had historically exported its products through visiting tourists rather than formal export channels.
“Our buyers came to us in the form of tourists. They purchased our products and carried them back to different parts of the world. Many lifelong relationships between buyers and artisans were built that way. We rarely had to participate in organised buyer-seller meets or handicraft fairs because buyers automatically came to Kashmir,” he said.
However, he said prolonged disturbances and a decline in tourism had compelled artisans to change their business model.
Highlighting the uneven distribution of exports across the Union Territory, the Chief Minister said nearly 98 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s exports currently originate from just four districts, while the remaining districts account for only two per cent.
“The challenge before us is how to increase the number of exporters and expand exports to every region of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Calling for the establishment of a dry port, Omar said export procedures should be completed within Jammu and Kashmir instead of other states.
“We urgently need a dry port. Today our goods are exported from here but are often stamped elsewhere, because of which exports get credited to another state. We are working to ensure all export-related procedures are completed within Jammu and Kashmir itself so that exporting becomes easier for our entrepreneurs and our exports are properly reflected in our own account,” he said. (KNO)
