Aug 7, 2025: The Department of Horticulture, Planning and Marketing, Jammu and Kashmir, today organized a Buyer-Seller Meet under the theme “Connecting Farmers with markets”, at Convention Centre, here, with the objective of strengthening the market linkages and promoting agri-business partnerships within the Union Territory’s flourishing horticulture sector.
The event was chaired by Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments, Javid Ahmed Dar.
The meet brought together a diverse range of stakeholders including prominent horticulture growers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, exporters, agri-entrepreneurs and representatives of organized retail chains from across the country. It opened up new markets for J&K's premium horticultural produce, such as apples, walnuts, basmati rice, cherries, pecannuts, pear, and apricots, and served as a vibrant platform for direct engagement between buyers and sellers. The goal was to increase transparency, guarantee better price realization, and open up new market avenues. The event featured focused B2B interactions, technical sessions and knowledge-sharing discussions on topics like “Export potential of horticultural produce, Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Integration with e-market platforms like e-NAM, Innovations in packaging and logistics.”
Through targeted training, capacity-building programs, and the facilitation of market access at both the national and international levels, the department reaffirmed its commitment to empowering stakeholders. The Minister said that the Government is very keen to uplift Horticulture sector for uplift of economy of Growers of J&K. It shall continue to explore the possibilities for launching similar flagship programs to boost the Horticulture/ Agriculture sector.
Every district will have a Centre of Excellence, according to the Minister, which will provide farmers with access to cutting-edge technology, expertise, and resources. He instructed the concerned officers to concentrate on developing rainfed areas in horticulture, agriculture, and animal husbandry, among other fields, in order to prevent people from migrating in search of work. The event facilitated direct interaction between the farmers, FPOs and institutional buyers, enabling transparent price negotiation and long-term business opportunities. During the event, various local products like walnuts, saffron, and processed goods were on display. Modern marketing platforms like e-NAM and B2B partnerships were also promoted at the meet. Ghulam Jeelani Zargar, Director of Horticulture Planning and Marketing, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to developing a robust mechanism for establishing marketing links between local sellers and buyers inside and outside of UT and an integrated value chain in the horticulture sector earlier in his inaugural address. He highlighted key initiatives under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) &Jammu & Kashmir Competitive Investment Project (JKCIP), including establishment of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores, integrated pack houses, grading and sorting lines and expansion of cold chain infrastructure, all aimed at minimizing post-harvest losses and improving product quality.