Jammu: Plan to promote Basmati export approved

Jammu Deputy Commissioner Sachin Kumar Vaish approved the District Export Action Plan for Basmati rice in a meeting here today. The scheme is part of the ‘One District One Product’ initiative, which aims to enhance the potential of local products from each district. The plan was finalized after several consultations with stakeholders in a series of meetings held earlier. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss a course to improve the quality of Basmati rice grown in the district to match the competition in the international markets. The DC stressed the need for creation of special infrastructure and asked the sub-divisional magistrates to identify works required to upgrade the facilities. The DC also highlighted the importance of educating and training farmers on export processes and requirements. He said that MSMEs, Director General of Foreign Trade and District Industries Centers will play an important role in this process. The meeting also covered other products that have been selected under the district as export hub initiative, such as mangoes, dairy products and phulkari. The DC suggested similar measures to improve the quality and marketability of these products. The DC recommended organizing capacity building programs within their respective Panchayats for the convenience and understanding of the farmers.