Kashmir’s Qul Fruits Joins Italy’s CIV to Launch India’s First Protected Fruit Genetics Platform | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: In a major development for Kashmir’s horticulture sector and India’s temperate fruit industry, Qul Fruits and Italy-based Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV Italia) on Tuesday announced the launch of IVAR, India’s first dedicated institutional platform for protected fruit varieties and genetics management.

Formally named Ivar Variety Management and Genetics Private Limited, the new venture has been established as a strategic joint initiative between Qul Fruits and CIV Italia to create a structured framework for fruit varietal introduction, licensing, breeder protection, scientific evaluation and genetics stewardship in India.

The press conference announcing the initiative was addressed by Khuram Mir, Federico Stanzani and Pier Filippo Tagliani.

The announcement was made during a launch event held in Srinagar in the presence of growers, scientists, nursery operators, policymakers and stakeholders from across the temperate horticulture sector.

Among those present were Shailendra Kumar, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Agriculture Production Department; Dr Nazir A. Ganai, Vice Chancellor of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir; Dr Mahendra Kumar Verma, Director of the ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture; and Javed Ahmad Bhat.

According to the organisers, IVAR aims to address long-standing structural challenges in Indian horticulture, including fragmented varietal access, weak breeder-right protections, unregulated propagation systems and limited access to advanced global fruit genetics.

The platform will initially focus on the temperate fruit-growing regions of Jammu and Kashmir and the wider Himalayan belt. It will facilitate the lawful and scientific introduction of protected fruit varieties into India through internationally aligned systems involving licensing, traceability, quality assurance and varietal governance.

Speaking at the event, Khuram Mir said Kashmir and the Himalayan region possess the climate and horticultural heritage capable of producing world-class fruit, but lacked a reliable institutional framework linking growers with advanced global genetics.

“Through IVAR, we are building a long-term platform that brings together global science, breeder confidence and farmer participation in a transparent, responsible and future-oriented manner,” he said.

Qul Fruits, described as a full-stack horticulture enterprise working across orchard development, post-harvest infrastructure, storage, marketing and distribution, will provide farmer integration and execution support for the initiative. CIV Italia will contribute expertise in fruit breeding, varietal licensing, genetics research and intellectual property stewardship.

Representatives of CIV Italia said the partnership reflects growing international confidence in professionally managed horticulture systems emerging in India, particularly in Kashmir’s temperate fruit sector.

The initiative is expected to strengthen productivity, quality and global competitiveness in Indian temperate fruit cultivation while improving farmer access to high-performance fruit genetics and scientifically managed orchard systems.

Officials said the formation of IVAR marks the beginning of a long-term institutional framework for scientific horticulture, varietal stewardship and trusted genetics management in India.