Lulu Group of UAE to develop food processing facility in Jammu & Kashmir

Lulu Group International, a UAE-based company, has announced a proposal to set up a food processing center in Srinagar for the supply of a wide variety of Jammu and Kashmir agricultural products.

The Lulu Group President Yusuffali MA announced this at a meeting between its Chief Secretary (Agriculture Development and Horticulture) and its delegation in Jammu and Kashmir, Navin Kumar Choudhary at the Food Safety Summit in the United African countries in 2020.

The company Lulu, is one of India's leading importing food and nonfood goods, which will further boost exports of Kashmiri products into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as into the states of other countries by developing a new food processing and logistics centre. GCC is an economic and political union of six Gulf-border Arab countries. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait are its representatives.

Present imports from Kashmir of Lulu apples and saffron and imports are expected to rise considerably over the next few years. According to an official statement, the group has imported over 400 tons of Kashmiri apples to date, facing many recent challenges due to the coronaviral pandemic.

The Lulu Group's determination is to acquire a large variety of J&K agri goods, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2019 visit to the UAE, said Yusuffali MA.

J&K Principal Secretary Choudhary has described the meeting as very fruitful' and said several decisions have been taken with the intention of promoting the export to the whole of the Gulf region of agricultural and horticultural products using Lulu stores.

He assured the Lulu communit's support for the establishment of logistics and offices in established J&K installations.

An agreement on the supply of apple and other fruit for Supermarkets of the Lulu Group in Gulf countries between the Lulu Group and Fruit Master Agro Fresh was also signed, says the document.

Consul General Aman Puri congratulated the Lulu Group on its efforts to achieve the goal of doubling exports and for the long-lasting dedication and cooperation and thanked the Chairman of the organization for his initiatives in the union territory which will provide employment opportunities for local young people and support the economic growth of J&K.

Meanwhile on the occasion of the Republic Day-2021 in Incredible India, Choudhary also welcomed Lulu Group's initiative to host the "J&K special" forthcoming in each of its supermarkets in the Gulf Zone. The two-night ceremony will commence on 24 January next year and features J&K's renowned brands, such as cooking and heritage, according to the announcement.

The talks have discussed whether direct passengers as well as daily freight transport were feasible.