Uttarakhand CM calls for amping up apple, kiwi production; stresses on branding, packaging

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 23 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said apple and kiwi production should be taken up in mission mode in the state.
Reviewing the Cooperative Department at the Secretariat on Friday he said that the provision should also be continuously monitored. Apart from promoting their products, CM Dhami said special attention should also be paid to branding, packaging and marketing.
With a special focus on strengthening Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the state, nodal officers should be appointed for each PAX to strengthen the PAX, he said. Dhami said efforts should be made to link cooperatives with natural farming by promoting natural farming cluster approach.
The Chief Minister said that these local products will have to be promoted to the maximum by promoting millet production in the state. Arrangements for training and seminars should be organized from time to time for the people associated with the cooperative.
Chief Minister said that the flagship schemes of the central and State governments should be widely publicized so that more and more people can take advantage of these schemes.
As a best practice, he said action should be taken soon for the plan being prepared by the Cooperative Department to benefit self-help groups formed through Student Credit Scheme and PACS. By connecting more and more people with the Deendayal Upadhyaya Cooperative Farmers Welfare Scheme, Dhami said this scheme will prove to be very effective in women empowerment and increasing farmers' income.
Under this scheme, self-help groups are being given interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh. Interest-free loan up to Rs 1 lakh for agricultural works and Rs 3 lakh for non-agricultural works is being given under this scheme. The Chief Minister said that the work should be expedited to promote the CM Solar Self-Employment Scheme.