As the acquisition of apples picks up pace in J&K, state-owned Nafed has inaugurated 2 more new procurement centers in ‘Handwara’ and ‘Pulwama.’ The update is such that till Thursday, nearly 4.5 lakh tonnes of apples have been deported out of the state, which is a large share by private players.
Nafed, which has so far obtained nearly 1,700 tonnes in the past 1 month under a special push in the wake of the post Article 370 limitations, it now wishes to add to this over the next 2-3 months.
The significant trade has been targeted by terrorists who are well aware of the economic importance of the business and the normalcy it will conduct. Hurting the trade raises the frustration of the local populace and builds up hostility against the government, and the Nafed invasion is proving a useful lifeline for the apple business.
The update is maximum procurement by all agencies, including Nafed, which had been reported from Anantnag.
“We are making preparations for disposing of stock that we will get and are also getting space on hire for storage,” said a central government official.
According to estimations by the J&K government, the total apple production this season would be approximately 12 lakh tonnes, and Nafed has set a target to get nearly four lakh tonnes. Sources shared a word that the quantum of acquisition has grown since Nafed revised minimum support price (MSP) for the best quality apple from Rs 54 in September to Rs 60 in this month.
