Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments, Javid Ahmad Dar, today visited Kissan Ghar and J&K Agro cold storage facilities in New Delhi and reviewed the progress of ongoing works as well as the functioning of these facilities.
The Minister was accompanied by Managing Director, J&K HPMC, Mohammad Farooq Ahmad, along with other senior officers. During the visit, the Minister inspected the ongoing construction of a Common Facility Centre under the Additional Market Development project, being developed at an estimated cost of ₹1986.57 lakh with NABARD support.
The facility is aimed at strengthening the post-harvest management and marketing support for horticulture produce from Jammu and Kashmir. The officials informed that the new cold storage facility will have a capacity of 3800 metric tonnes, comprising 10 multi-purpose chambers with advanced insulation systems and five deep-freeze chambers with dual temperature options for preservation of perishable produce.
The Minister also reviewed the upgraded existing cold storage infrastructure of 4000 metric tonnes capacity, originally constructed in 1976 and presently being modernised under a NABARD-funded project costing ₹1024.34 lakh. Emphasising the importance of modern storage and marketing infrastructure, the Minister stated that such facilities are vital for improving farmers’ returns and reducing post-harvest losses in the horticulture sector.
Later, the Minister inspected the ongoing construction of the additional block at Kissan Ghar. He directed the officials to expedite the works for timely completion. He also urged the officers to extend all possible support to residents from Jammu and Kashmir during their stay and also ensure that best possible services are provided to the visitors.