Srinagar
Corporations engaged in procuring apples directly from farmers are set to venture into Jammu and Kashmir for the first time this year, reports claimed.
According to a report published in Economic Times, Kolkata-based conglomerate ITC Limited plans to start direct apple procurement for the first time this year. “The company will buy from Himachal Pradesh as well as Jammu and Kashmir,” Economic Times quoted a company official as saying. “We will buy apples directly from farmers in Kashmir for the first time and are already in talks with growers in various districts in the valley,” Kumar Aggarwal, director, marketing, and procurement, at Dev Bhumi Limited told Economic Times.
The company has also plans to purchase 7,000 tonnes of apple primarily for retail chains. Jammu and Kashmir, largest producer of Indian apples, is expected to produce more than 17 lakh tonnes this year. “The crop situation at present is good and it is likely to be normal output,” a senior official of J&K horticulture department said. Apple harvesting in the state begins in September and extends till November, the report said.
