DC Poonch chairs District Export Action Plan meeting

Stakeholders collaborate to boost exports of Pecan nuts, Rajmah other products in Poonch District

POONCH, October 16: A meeting of District Level Export Promotion Committee was held today under the Chairpersonship of Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Yasin M.Choudhary, who is also the Chairman of the Committee.

  The meeting was convened to discuss the Draft Export Plan for Poonch district prepared by Jammu and Kashmir trade promotion Organization J&K (JKTPO).

At the outset, the General Manager DIC, Dr. Mohd. Tanveer, Convener of District Level Export Promotion Committee, welcomed the committee members and informed about the agenda of the meeting.

The consultant from JKTPO, Jeetan Kumar presented a PPT and draft district Export action plan Poonch, detailing both hard and soft measures required to increase exports of products identified under ODOP, i.e. Pecan nuts, Rajmah Walnuts, woollen garments Adventure sports etc.

An extensive discussion was held on the increase of production of Rajmah and pecan nuts besides the action plan to make these products of international quality to increase the income of local potential exporters.

The DC said that the plan must include strategies to increase production, quality of products, more FPO formation, cluster zones for export to be identified, departmental schemes be implemented and market linkages, good packaging techniques etc to increase export from the district.

The stakeholder departments were instructed by Deputy Commissioner Poonch to submit short- and long-term action plans with precise targets for the following three years of the designated product to DIC for inclusion in the plan. He asked the committee to include items like maize and sheep for meat in the area because they have a significant potential to produce there.

 In addition, he noted that the district also has potential for medicinal plants.

He directed JKTPO to share a format with DIC which will be shared with all departments for getting realistic data and plan.

The meeting was attended by CPO Maqsood Ahmed, CAO Rakesh Sharma, CHO Sanjeev Kumar, LDM J&K Bank, Ashutosh Koul, Consultant JKTPO Dept. of Industries, Jeetan Kumar, Joint. DGFT (J&K), A.K.Bhushan besides other concerned officers.