The Advisor made these remarks while addressing the India Cold Chain Conclave-Himalayan Chapter at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here.
The conclave, a first of its kind, was organised by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) in collaboration with the National Center for Cold Chain Development (NCCD) as the Knowledge Partner and Think Tank.
Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta; Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GoI, Priya Ranjan Verma; Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof. Nazeer Ahmad Ganai; Director Horticulture Kashmir, Ghulam Rasool; COO, NCCD, Chairman PHDCCI-Kashmir and other concerned officers were present on the occasion.
The representatives of J&K Fruit & Vegetable Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKIPCCA), cold storage associations, agriculture experts and scientists, fruit growers, entrepreneurs and agripreneurs also participated in the conclave.
Addressing the conclave, Advisor Bhatnagar highlighted that this conclave will create an enabling platform for local entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir to delve into, invest in, and thrive within the Cold Chain industry. He added that this platform is a unique opportunity for J&K’s entrepreneurs to engage with and access the latest cold chain technologies and infrastructure, all within their regional vicinity.
The Advisor underscored that this conclave will add lot of value to Cold chain industry and add to growth of horticulture, agriculture and other related sectors.
Speaking on ongoing development in Jammu and Kashmir, Advisor Bhatnagar said that the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ has remarkably improved in J&K as accountability and transparency has increased manifold by way of innovative digital means. He added that around 15 products have been GI tagged in Jammu and Kashmir which will add lot of value addition to the products and increase their reach across the globe.
He also said that the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme will change the ecosystem of agriculture and allied sectors in next five years.
The Advisor further said that our country is working towards to be the third largest economy in the world and we need to be competitive, optimise our resources with quality and use state of the art processes and technology.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta said that this is an important platform for doubling farmers income as the entrepreneurs and fruit growers of Jammu and Kashmir will have opportunities to explore the immense potential of the Cold Chain industry and foster valuable connections within this sector.
The Chief Secretary highlighted that with the introduction of High density agriculture scheme, apple production will at least be doubled in next three to four years. He added that under One District One Product (ODOP), several districts of J&K have started exporting their products across the globe, adding to the economic prosperity of these places.
Dr. Mehta further said that Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing lot of transformation from last few years and is emerging among the top achievers in country in ‘Ease of Doing Business’. He added that the dream of DigitalJ&K has been achieved and J&K has achieved top rank of providing services through digital mode as 1033 services are being provided through online mode here.
The Chief Secretary underscored that the DigitalJ&K has transformed the power from government and offices to common people.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, said that this interface meeting between government, academia, industry and stakeholders will boost the cold chain industry here. He added that the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has established the culture of consultations across J&K, bringing transformational changes here.
Director Horticulture Kashmir, COO, NCCD, President JKIPCCA and Chairman PHDCCI-Kashmir also spoke on the occasion.
During the conclave, several technical sessions were also held during which the experts and stakeholders deliberated on development of cold chain industry across Jammu and Kashmir.