Kargil Agripreneur calls for global push for local products, youth-led startups

KARGIL: State Awardee and agripreneur Er Ahmad Ali has called for strengthening Kargil’s agricultural economy through local production, scientific farming practices, value addition and global market access, stressing that promoting indigenous products and youth-led entrepreneurship could help reduce the region’s dependence on supplies from outside Ladakh.

Speaking on the theme ‘Vocal for Local – Taking Ladakh’s Local Products to Global Markets’ during a special podcast under RNU Akashvani Kargil’s Jan Seva Se Desh Seva series, Ali said his entrepreneurial journey was driven by the objective of making Kargil self-reliant in agriculture and creating better economic opportunities for local farmers.

He highlighted the commercial potential of locally produced apricots, Karkitchoo apples and seabuckthorn, emphasising the need to adopt Good Agricultural Practices, improve cultivation methods and invest in processing and value addition to increase farmers’ earnings.

Ali said a dedicated farmer could earn more than Rs 1 lakh from a single kanal of land under favourable conditions, pointing to the potential of scientific cultivation and better farm management to improve rural incomes.

Referring to the recent seabuckthorn collection in Kargil, he said an individual farmer had earned up to Rs 2 lakh, demonstrating the income-generating potential of the region’s indigenous agricultural resources.

Highlighting efforts to expand market access, Ali said initiatives were under way to take Kargil’s apricots and Karkitchoo apples to international markets and supply seabuckthorn pulp to major markets across India.

He stressed that consistent quality, modern packaging, processing facilities and reliable market linkages were essential to help local products compete in wider markets and secure better returns for farmers.

Ali also called for greater participation of young people in entrepreneurship, urging them to become job creators rather than depend exclusively on government employment. He said he was encouraging employees working with him to establish independent start-ups, with the aim of promoting entrepreneurial skills and creating further opportunities.

Emphasising the role of government departments, he urged officials to strengthen grassroots awareness, capacity-building initiatives and farmer education on the economic potential of local produce and the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices.

Describing the Vocal for Local initiative as a means of supporting regional economic development, Ali said greater consumption of locally produced goods could help retain money within the region, strengthen rural livelihoods and generate employment.

He stressed that the movement needed to begin at the grassroots level, with farmers, entrepreneurs, local institutions and consumers working together to strengthen production, improve market access and promote Ladakh’s products beyond the region.

The podcast was hosted by Anayat Ali, Correspondent at RNU Akashvani Kargil, as part of the Jan Seva Se Desh Seva series.