Ladakh Set to Export 1,000 MT of Apricots to Dubai; First Shipment to Be Dispatched Next Week

The Ladakh administration is all set to export 1,000 metric tonnes of fresh apricots with the dispatch of the product's first overseas shipment to Dubai's Lulu Group on July 14.

Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra on Friday reviewed all the arrangements and asked officials to ensure timely procurement, refrigeration, quality certification and seamless transportation for the export consignment, which will reach Delhi by road before being loaded on a cargo plane to Dubai.

The flagging off of the inaugural consignment will be undertaken on July 14, in coordination with concerned departments and police to ensure the smooth movement of refrigerated vehicles.

Chairing a review meeting, Kundra assessed the preparedness of departments and stakeholders involved in the initiative, which is aimed at facilitating exports of Ladakh's apricots to other international markets as well.

Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture, Bhupesh Chaudhary, gave a detailed presentation on the implementation strategy, covering production estimates, participation of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and aggregators, identification of production clusters, collection centres, harvesting schedules, transportation plans, operational requirements, risk mitigation measures and village-wise export projections.

The chief secretary reviewed arrangements for procurement, grading, sorting, packaging, transportation and export of the fruit, besides taking stock of the quantity of apricots being mobilised from different clusters and transportation plans from Leh and Kargil to Srinagar and onward to Delhi.

He also reviewed quality standards, grading procedures and rejection rates, directing officials and aggregators to minimise post-harvest losses through strict adherence to quality protocols and scientific handling practices.

Kundra stressed the need for transparent and timely payments to farmers and aggregators and instructed departments to ensure prompt quality certification, procurement and financial transactions.

Officials informed the meeting that the first consignment of apricots is scheduled to be flown to the United Arab Emirates on July 14 through a special cargo aircraft departing from Delhi.

Reviewing the flight schedule and dispatch timeline, the chief secretary directed all stakeholders to ensure that consignments reach Delhi within the stipulated timeframe.

Emphasising efficient logistics, Kundra asked deputy commissioners and transport agencies to closely monitor road conditions and ensure smooth movement of consignments from production clusters, including Sarchu and Zanskar, to Srinagar and onward to Delhi, while preparing contingency plans for possible disruptions.

He also reviewed the operational readiness of five aggregators and a cooperative society participating in the initiative and directed them to maintain close coordination with farmers and adhere to harvesting schedules.

Stressing the importance of maintaining an uninterrupted cold chain, Kundra reviewed pre-cooling facilities, refrigerated transport, temperature protocols and certification procedures, directing officials to strictly follow standard operating procedures from collection centres until export.

He further instructed agencies to prominently showcase Ladakh's identity on the packaging of export products and ensure compliance with branding and quality standards in coordination with Lulu Group, Fair Exports and other stakeholders.