Srinagar, Oct 14: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the agriculture sector in Jammu and Kashmir holds immense potential and requires focused attention towards value addition to unlock full gamut of business opportunities across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister made these remarks while addressing the National Executive Committee Meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) held in Srinagar.
The meeting was attended by FICCI President Harsh Vardhan Agarwal, Senior Vice President Anant Goenka, Director General FICCI Jyoti Vij, Past President Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Chairman FICCI J&K Council Mushtaq A. Burza, and members of the National Executive Council.
Highlighting the immense potential of the agriculture sector, the Chief Minister said that most of the produce from Jammu and Kashmir leaves the region in its raw form, with very little processing or value addition being done locally.
“This opens significant opportunities for industrial growth, both on Jammu side and Kashmir’s side,” he stated.
Citing the dairy sector as an example, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that only about 4–5 percent of the J&K’s dairy production is processed within Jammu & Kashmir, while the rest goes unprocessed into the market. He urged industry leaders to explore these areas for investment and growth.
Referring to the broader economic scenario, the Chief Minister said that the J&K has faced challenges due to recent natural calamities and the downturn in tourism following the Pahalgam incident, but the administration remains optimistic about revival across sectors.
“This is not a story of pessimism but of hope and optimism. We are working hard with all stakeholders to put the economy back on track,” he said.
The Chief Minister informed that the government is simultaneously engaging with domestic and international tourism partners to attract visitors and revive the sector. “Jammu and Kashmir has always been the country’s premier destination and we are determined to sustain that legacy,” he added.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also outlined the areas where the government is focusing on sustainable and competitive industrial growth, including agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, electronics, pharmaceuticals, packaging and cement. He said that new road-connectivity projects such as the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and four-laning of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will further enhance logistics and investment potential.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business, the Chief Minister invited FICCI’s inputs on policy reforms to make J&K more investor-friendly.
“We are keen to learn from best practices across the country. Reforms will be guided by feedback from the industry itself,” he said.
The Chief Minister also called upon the corporate sector to support Jammu and Kashmir through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in youth-centric areas such as sports infrastructure, libraries and skill upgradation. He urged companies to partner with the government in upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and skill centres to create an employable local workforce.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed the strong partnership between Jammu and Kashmir and FICCI and expressed hope that renewed engagement will yield tangible results for J&K’s economic growth.
“This is a long-standing relationship and today’s meeting marks another step towards strengthening cooperation and building new opportunities for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
