The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has been playing a pivotal role in promoting agricultural and processed food exports from the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Through focused trade facilitation, capacity building, and international market outreach, APEDA has significantly strengthened the region’s export ecosystem and enhanced global recognition of its agri-horticultural products.
APEDA has undertaken several initiatives to enhance export growth and improve the global competitiveness of Indian agricultural produce, including that from Jammu & Kashmir. In 2023, APEDA organized promotion programmes for Black Carrots and Red Delicious/Kullu Delicious apples from the region in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. International markets such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Singapore witnessed a vibrant showcase of Jammu & Kashmir’s diverse agri and processed food products, including GI-tagged saffron, apples, mixed vegetables, Kashmiri pickles, almonds, walnuts, pulses, honey varieties, dried lavender, almond oil, walnut oil, apricot oil, Basmati and Mushkbudji rice, Kashmiri red chilli, saffron kehwa, and other value-added products.
Further strengthening the export momentum, APEDA facilitated the first commercial consignment of premium-quality Kashmiri cherries to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, marking a significant milestone for the region’s fresh fruit exports. Additionally, on the occasion of India’s Independence Day, GI-tagged Kashmiri saffron was showcased in Riyadh as part of a strategic initiative to enhance the global visibility of Jammu & Kashmir’s unique agricultural heritage.
APEDA also promoted agri produce from Jammu & Kashmir during the Indian rice promotional campaign at Expo 2025, Osaka, in association with the Consulate General of India, Osaka, and the Japan–India Industry Promotion Association (JIIPA). Premium varieties of Indian rice, including Mushkbudji rice, were showcased. The wet sampling of Mushkbudji rice received an encouraging response from Japanese importers and buyers, indicating strong potential for market expansion.
To strengthen trade linkages, APEDA has organized and supported sensitization programmes, trade meets, and Buyer–Seller Meets across Jammu and Kashmir. International Buyer–Seller Meets were held in Srinagar and Jammu, facilitating direct interaction between exporters, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and international buyers, thereby creating sustainable market linkages.
In order to meet importing countries’ regulatory requirements and enhance quality assurance, APEDA has provided financial assistance for upgradation of the food testing laboratory at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K). Financial assistance has also been extended to exporters for setting up Integrated Pack Houses for export of fruits and vegetables to various international markets.
Capacity Development Programmes (CDPs) have been conducted across various districts of Jammu & Kashmir to build awareness on export standards, branding, value addition, and global market opportunities. In collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Directorate of Agriculture, Directorate of Horticulture, Horticulture Planning and Marketing Department, SKUAST, and CSIR-IIIM, APEDA continues to strengthen the export preparedness of farmers and exporters in the region.
Efforts are on to unlock the immense export potential of Jammu & Kashmir, contributing to enhanced farmer incomes, export diversification, and global recognition of the Union Territory’s distinctive agri-horticultural products
Courtesy: Press Information Bureau, Srinagar