Director HPM inspects facilities at Fruit & Vegetable Mandi Udhampur

UDHAMPUR : Endeavoring to regulate the Fruit & Vegetable trade across the UT of J&K and streamlining the Market operations, Director Horticulture (Planning & Marketing) J&K, Vishesh Pal Mahajan, today visited Satellite Fruit & Vegetable Mandi Udhampur.

He was accompanied by Joint Director Digvijay Gupta, Deputy Director Jammu, Ayaz Ahmed Natnoo, Executive Engineer, Ravinder Mengi and Area Marketing Officer H.Q. Jammu, Arvind Panjotra

During the visit, he took an extensive review of its functioning and met with the shop site allottees in person and sought their trade details. He also gave a patient hearing to the issues and demands projected by the Mandi functionaries.

On being learnt about the demise of some of the allottees, the Director issued necessary instructions to process for transfer of their lease hold rights to the legal heir. He further asked to identify the functionaries who are not working in the Mandi for the last over 5 years and even not turned up for Lease Deed.

Later, the Director Horticulture (P&M) also chaired a meeting of entrepreneurs and SHGs. He encouraged them to harness vast qualitative production under ODOP and to work in a cooperative mode. He explained the indispensability of value adding skills of Grading, Labelling, Branding and the Packaging which attracts the buyers.

The participating SHG members and entrepreneurs disclosed as to how they process and produce the products and their marketing methodology. The Director assured them every possible support for up-gradation of their units or training on processing etc. He assured to issue 10 Packing/Sealing Machines to them for ODOP products or else, free of cost.

Among others, Raj Mathur, President F&V Association Udhampur, Sham Lal Langer, Roshan Jandial, Anant Ram were also present on the occasion.