Mega buyer-seller meet held in J&K

INTERNATIONAL DESK: With the vision to promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, a mega buyer-seller meet was organised on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir under ‘One District One Product’ initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

The initiative was organised with the support of the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO).

According to Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT, the Buyer-Seller Meet witnessed the presence of multiple national and international brands with a cumulative revenue of over Rs 8,000 crore and having their products available in over a million retail outlets across the world.

Sellers, traders, farmers, and aggregators from various districts of Jammu & Kashmir showcased their products that are unique to the valley including the world-famous Kashmiri saffron, Himalayan White Acacia Honey, Red shiny Kidney beans, freshly grown organic vegetables and more.

The Buyer-Seller Meet provided a platform where different government departments and institutions come together to boost the trade of selected products.

Jammu and Kashmir government’s agriculture and industries departments worked together to bring quality products as per market requirements and it was imperative to connect these “best-in-class products” with renowned brands to improve earning potential of farmers.

Collective discussion among all stakeholders generated innovative ideas on the diversification of products such as saffron-based dairy products, walnut-based bakery products, and more. Focused trade discussions were also facilitated between the buyers and sellers which will result in long-lasting trade relationships.

DPIIT, under its One District One Product, is working to ensure such linkages with a string focus on increasing farmers’ income.

With over 700 products cutting across sectors like agriculture, textiles, handicrafts and manufacturing, the ODOP Initiative seeks to select, brand and promote one product from every district of the country. This is marked by a key role – to coordinate, create collaborative networks and enable handholding of buyers and sellers for the larger aim of trade promotion and facilitation.

Alongside the buyer-seller meet, an e-commerce onboarding session was also held by one of the leading e-commerce players in the country in order to support J&K-based sellers to expand trade into web-based sales.

Previously, the ODOP Initiative had facilitated the sale of 6,750 kilograms of apples and 2000 kg of walnuts from Budgam, Kashmir to Karnataka-based buyers that were previously importing the same. Through the recognition of unique selling propositions (USP) of various products and keen handholding, the ODOP Initiative seeks to replicate such efforts at a larger scale through its latest mega buyer-seller meet. (ANI)