Jammu, July 16 -- Lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday flagged off the first export consignment of 5 MT of Ladakh's premium apricots to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The initiative marks the beginning of Ladakh's largest-ever fresh apricot export programme and is expected to significantly enhance farmers' incomes while establishing Ladakh as a global supplier of premium-quality organic apricots.

The export has been facilitated under an MoU signed in April 2026 between the Ladakh administration and the UAE-based global retail conglomerate Lulu Retail, through APEDA, which envisages the export of over 1,000 metric tonnes of fresh apricots during the current harvest season. This is a monumental leap from the mere 1,500kg o...