The District Magistrate (DM) Shopian, Sachin Kumar Vaishya today chaired a District Level Export Promotion Committee (DLEPC) meeting at Mini Secretariat Arhama, here to review the District Export Plan under District Export Hub initiative to boost exports from the UT. The District Export Hub initiative will form an important component of the new trade policy envisaging tapping of the potential of the district to help in emerging as an export hub.Speaking on the occasion, the DM instructed the officers of the concerned departments present in the meeting to identify the challenges and gaps in the existing export infrastructure.He further instructed them to undertake extensive branding of the products originated and exported from the district by developing a unique logo/hallmark for easy identification and quality assurance in the international market.Vaishya stated that the scheme adopts the One District One Product (ODOP) approach to reap the benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products.
He said that ODOP for the scheme will provide the framework for value chain development and alignment of support infrastructure, adding that there may be more than one cluster of ODOP products in the district.He said that a baseline study would be carried out by the District Administration. However, existing units producing other products would also be supported. The DM stressed for adopting scientific technology to make the said Craft more significant and augment it on a daily basis.It was given out in the meeting that Zari-Craft is on the forefront in the district and 4000 registrations have been made in this Craft till date.The Department of Commerce is focusing on agriculture crops on a cluster approach for support to exports under the Agriculture Export Policy, and the Ministry of Agriculture is also focusing on a cluster approach for the development of specific agri products having a comparative advantage.The ODOP approach of the scheme would lead to easing in providing common facilities and other support.District Lead Bank Manager, General Manager DIC, KVIB, Assistant Director Handicrafts and other concerned officers attended the meeting.