J&K government purchases 1.34 lakh apple boxes from south Kashmiri fruit growers

JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has procured around 1.34 lakh boxes of apple from fruit growers in south Kashmir under the Marketing Intervention Scheme (MIS), officials said on Wednesday.

As many as 1,34,000 apple boxes have been procured from Fruit Mandi Batengoo in Anantnag district and Rs 2.50 crores have been paid to fruit growers under recently launched MIS under the department of Horticulture, they said.

Officials said the department of Horticulture has also distributed 19 irrigation pumps and 20 tubewells worth Rs 3.23 lakh to the orchardists and emphasis is being laid on high-density plantation.

Out of 66,335-hectare land under cultivation, 38,756.75 hectares are under Kharif crops and 26,279 hectares are under Rabi crop, officials said at a meeting chaired by Advisor to Governor Farooq Khan on Tuesday.

Besides, 24,036.97 hectares have been brought under paddy cultivation, 10,676 hectares under maize, 1,678 hectares under pulses and 1,454 hectares have been brought under oilseeds production in the district, they said.

As far as cultivation of high yielding varieties were concerned, 1,467 quintals of paddy seeds, 20.94 quintals of vegetable seeds, 407 quintals of maize, 4.22 quintals of pulses and 501 quintals of fodder were distributed by the department during the current fiscal, they said.

Officials said out of 85,265 beneficiaries under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidi, 61,912 beneficiaries have already been uploaded in Anantnag district.

The scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs) in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields.

Under this, the first instalment has been credited to 34,080 beneficiaries, the second instalment to 24,760 beneficiaries and third instalment in favour of 21,198 beneficiaries stands disbursed, they said.

In the Apiculture sector, 19,778 bee colonies and hives are functional under private sector and production of honey during the current year has been recorded 2,175.58 quintals in the district, which generated a revenue of Rs 543.98 lakh, the officials added.