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Kashmir losing an average 1,375 hectares of agricultural land annually

January 20, 2020 | BK NEWS SERVICE

In the wake of conversion of agricultural land into commercial and residential places, Kashmir alone is losing an average 1,375 hectares of agricultural land annually.
The data revealed by sources said that the state had 8.47 lakh hectare agriculture land in 2005-06, which shrunk to 7.94 lakh hectare, increasing JK's dependency on other states for food-grains.
Most of this land has come under increasing residential and commercial constructions, road construction and other projects, sources reveals.
Commercial and residential colonies are coming up across the Valley with the summer capital, Srinagar also losing prime land pockets. Besides, farmers in Kashmir were converting the agricultural land including paddy fields into horticulture.
“Yes, there is a need for making new roads and buildings but we have to take care of our agriculture, which contributes 19.32 percent toward our GDP,” one of the top officials said.
He said while 70 percent of the people of the State were directly or indirectly connected to the Agriculture sector, the State was not self-sufficient in agriculture.
“There is a massive agricultural land devastation and changes across Kashmir region,” one of the professors of Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir said.
He said, besides conversion of agricultural land into commercial and residential houses, people were selling rice fields and changing agricultural land into horticulture purposes.
He said the conversion of agricultural land into commercial complexes and residential colonies is a menace. “It has affected the horticulture sector as well. If this conversion would not be stopped, then we are leaving no legacy for our future generation. It has to stop, as agriculture has a great importance and value in the state”.
The officials of the Agricultural Department warned of “catastrophic situation” if steps are not taken to preserve agricultural land in the Valley.
According to official data, Kashmir had 1, 63,000 hectare agricultural land in year 1952 when its population was only 18 lakh. In the following years, the conversion of land began at fast speed and in 2012, the land shrunk to 141,740 hectares. Similarly, the land under maize was 1,00,000 hectares in year 2003 and by 2012, it shrunk to 80,014 hectares.
Sources said that Kashmir is also losing its saffron land to conversions into non-agricultural purposes.
The data revealed by sources said that 2000 hectares of land of prized saffron has shrunk in just 16 years. The officials of the Agricultural Department listed various reasons for land conversion in Kashmir and that include disinterest shown by people and Government towards this sector.
The people in Kashmir valley over the past two decades have converted agricultural land into commercial and residential purposes.
According to officials, the highest conversion has taken place in Srinagar district and the lowest in Kupwara district. They said that people have constructed residential houses, shopping complexes, farms and other establishments to earn revenue while the Governments also did not interfere to stop these conversions. Besides, said the officials, the land was also converted for horticulture purpose.
According to officials, the agriculture sector in Kashmir has export potential “because the Valley has seasonal advantage” over other regions of the State and country and it will decrease dependency to some extent. “We have to understand that paddy won’t fetch us revenue but potatoes, tomatoes (which scientifically falls in fruit category) and other vegetables can. So, they should be prioritized and we can export them at that period of year when they are not available outside and it can fetch us huge revenue,” they said.

Kashmir losing an average 1,375 hectares of agricultural land annually

January 20, 2020 | BK NEWS SERVICE

In the wake of conversion of agricultural land into commercial and residential places, Kashmir alone is losing an average 1,375 hectares of agricultural land annually.
The data revealed by sources said that the state had 8.47 lakh hectare agriculture land in 2005-06, which shrunk to 7.94 lakh hectare, increasing JK's dependency on other states for food-grains.
Most of this land has come under increasing residential and commercial constructions, road construction and other projects, sources reveals.
Commercial and residential colonies are coming up across the Valley with the summer capital, Srinagar also losing prime land pockets. Besides, farmers in Kashmir were converting the agricultural land including paddy fields into horticulture.
“Yes, there is a need for making new roads and buildings but we have to take care of our agriculture, which contributes 19.32 percent toward our GDP,” one of the top officials said.
He said while 70 percent of the people of the State were directly or indirectly connected to the Agriculture sector, the State was not self-sufficient in agriculture.
“There is a massive agricultural land devastation and changes across Kashmir region,” one of the professors of Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir said.
He said, besides conversion of agricultural land into commercial and residential houses, people were selling rice fields and changing agricultural land into horticulture purposes.
He said the conversion of agricultural land into commercial complexes and residential colonies is a menace. “It has affected the horticulture sector as well. If this conversion would not be stopped, then we are leaving no legacy for our future generation. It has to stop, as agriculture has a great importance and value in the state”.
The officials of the Agricultural Department warned of “catastrophic situation” if steps are not taken to preserve agricultural land in the Valley.
According to official data, Kashmir had 1, 63,000 hectare agricultural land in year 1952 when its population was only 18 lakh. In the following years, the conversion of land began at fast speed and in 2012, the land shrunk to 141,740 hectares. Similarly, the land under maize was 1,00,000 hectares in year 2003 and by 2012, it shrunk to 80,014 hectares.
Sources said that Kashmir is also losing its saffron land to conversions into non-agricultural purposes.
The data revealed by sources said that 2000 hectares of land of prized saffron has shrunk in just 16 years. The officials of the Agricultural Department listed various reasons for land conversion in Kashmir and that include disinterest shown by people and Government towards this sector.
The people in Kashmir valley over the past two decades have converted agricultural land into commercial and residential purposes.
According to officials, the highest conversion has taken place in Srinagar district and the lowest in Kupwara district. They said that people have constructed residential houses, shopping complexes, farms and other establishments to earn revenue while the Governments also did not interfere to stop these conversions. Besides, said the officials, the land was also converted for horticulture purpose.
According to officials, the agriculture sector in Kashmir has export potential “because the Valley has seasonal advantage” over other regions of the State and country and it will decrease dependency to some extent. “We have to understand that paddy won’t fetch us revenue but potatoes, tomatoes (which scientifically falls in fruit category) and other vegetables can. So, they should be prioritized and we can export them at that period of year when they are not available outside and it can fetch us huge revenue,” they said.


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Owner, Printer, Publisher, Editor: Farooq Ahmad Wani
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