Peerr Muhammad Amir Qureshi
Agriculture has been a major economic resource for the majority of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. It serves as the backbone of the region’s economy, providing employment to around 64% of the population, either directly or indirectly. The fruits of Kashmir, particularly apples, apricots, cherries, walnuts, and saffron, are famous across the country. Despite the valley’s significant production of apples and walnuts, orchard owners, farmers, and others associated with these fruits continue to face various challenges year after year.
While Kashmir produces high-quality apples and walnuts, the demand and prices of these local fruits have decreased due to the growing consumption of Iranian and Turkish apples and Californian walnuts in the country. As the demand for Kashmiri apples and walnuts drops in the domestic markets, the Kashmiri fruit industry is struggling for survival. The orchard owners and farmers face increasing difficulties, with labor wages, transportation charges, and fruit prices contributing to heavy losses. To make matters worse, the prices of cardboard and wooden boxes are soaring, yet the price per box of apples remains the same as it was five or six years ago.
This problem doesn’t end there, as trucks loaded with apples often get stuck on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for days, causing the apples to rot. The entire burden of this situation falls on the orchard owners, farmers, and traders, many of whom have taken loans from banks. In September, due to delays on the highway, the apple industry suffered losses of approximately 500 crores. Mudasir Ahmed Bhatt, President of the Fruit Market Association of Sopore, mentioned that the apple industry in Kashmir is worth about 6,000 crores.
The continuous closure of the highway has led to the destruction of apples stored in trucks. This has caused significant distress among the traders, who have also borrowed money from markets in Delhi. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her frustration, stating that she would collaborate with fruit truck drivers to block the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway if their vehicles were not allowed to pass. She urged the current UT government to open the passage for trucks loaded with Kashmiri fruits so that the traders and transporters could avoid further economic ruin. She criticized the central government for not facilitating the development and prosperity of the region, despite the end of militancy in Kashmir.
Ghulam Muhammad, a resident of Sopore, explained that due to continuous losses in the fruit industry, he had to cut down all the apple trees on his five-kanal land, which he had spent almost 20 years cultivating. He shared that despite his best efforts to increase production, he was unable to achieve any significant gains. Furthermore, the walnut industry in Kashmir has also suffered due to the influx of Californian walnuts in the Indian market.
There are three types of walnuts in Kashmir: Wonth, Paper, and Burzol. Wonth walnuts are hard to break and are mostly sold locally, while Paper walnuts are large with a thin outer shell. Burzol walnuts are medium-sized and of high quality. According to government statistics, in 2021-22, Jammu Kashmir produced 2.82 lakh tons of walnuts, with Jammu and Kashmir contributing nearly 92%. However, the production of walnuts is shrinking year by year due to the lack of scientific intervention, GST implementation, climate change, population growth, drought, and the widespread availability of Californian walnuts in the country’s major cities.
It takes more than 15 years to get the first harvest from a walnut tree, which is a significant factor contributing to the decline in production. In light of this situation, the government must take steps to introduce high-quality apple and walnut tree varieties to save these industries. Farmers should be provided with standardized equipment on a subsidy basis, and training camps should be organized through agricultural research institutes and universities. Soil testing should also be conducted to introduce suitable fruits or crops.
Additionally, the government should ensure that fruits from producing districts reach other states without any hindrances, so that they do not spoil in the markets or on national highways. A diversified export strategy and land reforms should be introduced in favor of farmers. Programs like PM Kisan Yojana should be expanded to benefit those involved in agricultural activities.
To save the struggling fruit and walnut industries, the government must introduce high-quality grafted plants and take action to preserve Kashmir’s legacy, which is an important source of livelihood for the people.
(The columnist is an official member of the JKIFTS Columnist Council and is currently pursuing an MSc in Zoology.)
