The Union Territory Administration of Ladakh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lulu International for the export of apricots to international markets.
The agreement follows efforts to promote the region's GI-tagged "Raktsey Karpo" and the local "Halman" apricot varieties. Under the arrangement, around 1,000 metric tons of apricots will be exported this season, compared to 1,500 kg exported over the past two years.
The MoU was signed through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Secretary of Horticulture Bhupesh Chaudhary and Lulu Retail Group Director Salim MA signed the agreement in the presence of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
According to the agreement, Lulu International will procure at least 1,000 metric tons of apricots from farmers in Ladakh and manage plucking, sorting, processing, packaging, transportation, and international marketing.
Speaking at the signing, VK Saxena said the MoU would support farmers by reducing losses and providing price stability. He also stated that the initiative would contribute to increasing recognition of Ladakh products in international markets.
The administration indicated that traditional processing and packaging methods have led to losses, and the new system is expected to improve handling and value addition.
Further efforts are underway to explore export opportunities for apples from Ladakh. Plans are also being considered to establish processing facilities in the region and to develop an e-commerce platform for Ladakhi products to support direct market access.
Source: ANI News
