On Thursday, the government said it would acquire 26 kanals (1 kanal= 510 m2) of land for expansion and upgrading for the Baramulla fruit market.
The Minister of Horticulture, Abdul Rehman Veeri has said the fruit market would be upgraded to match the benchmark standards in the sector. So far the market is spread over 41 kanals of land.
Rehman Veeri has also asked growers and traders to explore the idea of using rail transport for their exports to other markets. "The mandi will be upgraded to match the countrywide standards and will have add-on facilities like CA stores, packaging and grading line, soil testing lab, online trading, and dedicated transport terminals." He has also requested the cooperation of leading fruit growers in establishing cold storage chains in the Valley.
According to the minister, 4,000 kanals of orchard land have been identified for a high-density apple plantation in Kashmir during the next season. The high-density plants will be imported from Europe and will be provided with subsidised rates to the growers.
