J&K horticulture generates Rs 10,000 crore revenue annually

Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture industry contributes eight per cent towards Gross State Domestic Product

Despite negligence from the government and multiple lockdowns, Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture industry is growing and contributing eight per cent to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

Horticulture, which is a major sector, plays a key role in the economy of the Union Territory as it generates approximately Rs 10,000 crore income annually.

As per official figures, the livelihood of 35 lakh people in the UT is directly or indirectly dependent on horticulture and it is the main employment generation sector. According to the 2011 census, J&K had a population of 1.25 crore.

An area of 3.33 lakh hectares (2020-21) is under fruit cultivation and a production of 20.35 lakh metric tonnes has been recorded in the same period, the figures reveal. Two decades back (2001), only 2.21 lakh hectares of land were under fruit cultivation in the UT.

In 2001, the fruit production was recorded at 10.9 lakh metric tonnes and the same has now gone up to 20.35 lakh metric tonnes. Almost 77 per cent of India’s apples and 90 per cent of walnuts come from J&K.

However, despite horticulture being one of the main contributors to the UT’s economy, the government over the years has been allocating a meager sum for the growth of this vital sector. In the 2019-2020 Budget, out of Rs 88,911 crore allocation, Rs 500 crore had been earmarked for the horticulture sector.

According to official figures, the horticulture sector generated a total wage employment of 13.32 crore man days in 2020-21 under apple orchards and others, coming out as one of the major sources for direct and indirect employment generation in the UT.

A senior officer of J&K Horticulture Department said that the sector can transform the economy of UT over the next decade by creating jobs, increasing production, ecological development, and poverty alleviation.

“While agriculture has seen a continuous decline in J&K, the area under horticulture is on a surge which has cemented the latest position as a torch bearer of the economy. However, the government needs to invest in this sector to give it a further boost,” he added.

The cultivation of high-density apples has already started transforming the scenario of apple production in Kashmir and is expected to give a boost to the apple economy in coming years.

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