“They are delicious,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first consignment of organic Ladakhi apple was flagged off from Leh for various destinations in the country.

Modi has come forward as a brand ambassador for the Ladakhi apple by tweeting; “If you get the opportunity, do taste the organic apples from Ladakh. They are delicious!”.

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The Chairman, Leh’s Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Tashi Gyalson, flagged off the first consignment of organic Ladakhi Apples from Leh said an official spokesman on Sunday.

Executive Councillor for Horticulture, Ghulam Mehdi Ashoor, Councillor Tiger, Rigzin Lundup, officials of Horticulture Department led by Chief Horticulture Officer Leh, and representatives from Himalayan Ladakh Agro Products was present on the occasion.

Gyalson stated that the initiative has been successful only because of the collective effort from the local entrepreneurs with the support from local farmers especially from the Nubra region; the concerned Councillor of Tiger and the local administration.

He said there were fewer markets for local agro-products of Ladakh in the previous years but now, such initiatives will definitely pave ways for the farmers and entrepreneurs to explore more opportunities and promote organic products at both national and international markets.

These organic Ladakhi Apples will be shipped to New Delhi, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal thanked the PM for promoting Ladakhi apple. He tweeted; “History Created by #ModiSarkar. Organic Apples of Ladakh now available across stores in India”.

In the Ladakh region, apple is an important fruit crop next only to apricot. The fruit is grown at a height of 12,000 ft and the exotic high yielding variety has widely been accepted by the farmers.

DRDO’s Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) is playing an important role in improving the variety of native fruit in Ladakh.