Jammu, Jan 31: Horticulture is the backbone of Jammu & Kashmir’s rural economy, with apples playing a central role by supporting lakhs of farming families and allied livelihoods. Despite the region’s renowned apple quality, the sector has long struggled with structural constraints.

Traditionally, harvest season created urgency rather than opportunity. Limited grading, storage, and organised marketing meant that even premium apples were sold at average prices, leaving growers with little control over timing or returns.
This scenario is changing under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), implemented by the Agriculture Production Department. The programme is restructuring the apple sector into an integrated value chain, linking planting material, orchard design, post-harvest management, and market access.

Rebuilding from the roots

HADP’s Project-21 focuses on producing “designer plants” for high-density plantations and orchard rejuvenation. Over 10,000 applications were received, 4,500 approved, and 1,500 units already established across apple-growing districts in just two years. Traditional nursery growers are transforming into modern propagation enterprises, supplying uniform, disease-free planting material that supports orchard rejuvenation and high-density plantations. This ensures predictable yields, faster adoption of modern systems, and reduced long-term risk for growers.

Design over land

High-density plantations are reshaping productivity. Growers report higher returns from smaller land areas due to uniform trees, consistent fruit size, and improved quality. Labour efficiency and input management are improving, and farmers are evaluating their orchards based on design and market connection rather than acreage.
Post-harvest value capture:
Scientific grading and local storage facilities now allow quality-based pricing, increasing revenue and providing rural employment. Investments in controlled-atmosphere storage and refrigerated transport give growers flexibility over market timing. Improved logistics, including the first railway-borne apple consignment in 2025, are expanding market access.

From infrastructure to intelligence

The Kisan Khidmat Ghar (KKG) digital platform provides real-time mandi prices and forecasting for apple varieties, allowing growers to make informed decisions about harvesting, grading, storage, and sales. Disease and pest forecasting, linked to weather data, helps prevent losses and ensures quality production. Participation in national trading platforms has surged, with e-NAM transactions rising from ₹14 lakh in 2020–21 to over ₹670 crore in the current financial year.
Lower costs, safer produce:
HADP promotes safer, cost-efficient pesticide use through model orchards demonstrating precise spraying techniques and canopy management. Early results show reduced chemical use without compromising yield.

From transactions to decisions

The programme is shifting decision-making from reactive to proactive. Growers now plan harvests, grading, storage, and sales based on market intelligence, supported by structured skilling and advisory services. This transfer of control back to local producers strengthens resilience against market volatility.

A system taking shape

HADP integrates nursery production, modern orchards, grading, storage, and logistics into a coherent value chain. With annual apple production exceeding 21 lakh metric tonnes, even small improvements in grading, storage, and market timing have significant economic impact. High-density plantations and improved post-harvest handling are increasingly adopted without subsidies, proving their economic viability.
The apple economy of Jammu & Kashmir is evolving. By addressing long-standing constraints, HADP is transforming the sector from distress-driven sales to strategic, market-oriented participation—a change visible across nurseries, orchards, and grading floors throughout the region.