Srinagar, Aug 31: Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector has expanded significantly over the past four decades, but declining apple productivity and a sharp reduction in almond cultivation have emerged as major concerns, according to a NITI Aayog roadmap for the Union Territory’s horticulture development.
The findings are contained in the “Roadmap for Horticulture Development in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir @ 2047”, which examines the growth, productivity and challenges facing the sector.
According to the report, the area under fruit cultivation increased from 1.31 lakh hectares in 1980 to 3.44 lakh hectares in 2022. During the same period, total fruit production increased from 5.6 lakh tonnes to 27.22 lakh tonnes.
Fruit productivity also improved, rising from 4.3 tonnes per hectare to 7.91 tonnes per hectare. However, the report points out that much of the growth in production has come from expansion of cultivated area rather than a similar increase in productivity.
With limited scope for further expansion of agricultural land, the report stresses that future growth will increasingly depend on improving productivity from existing orchards.
Apple remains the dominant fruit crop in J&K, accounting for around half of the total area under fruit cultivation and more than three-fourths of overall fruit production.
However, apple productivity has shown a declining trend. NITI Aayog recorded a negative compound annual growth rate of 0.37 percent in apple productivity between 2020-22 and 2022-23.
The report has also highlighted a substantial contraction in almond cultivation. The area under almond orchards has declined by around 10,000 hectares, with the reduction becoming particularly significant in recent years.
The developments have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of key components of the horticulture economy, particularly amid changing weather patterns, increasing production costs and changing market demands.
To address these challenges, NITI Aayog has recommended greater adoption of high-density plantations, improved planting material, better crop varieties and modern orchard management techniques.
The roadmap also calls for stronger extension services to help growers adopt improved production practices and raise yields.
Improving post-harvest infrastructure has been identified as another priority. Better cold storage, processing facilities, packaging systems and market linkages could help reduce losses and increase returns for growers.
The report emphasizes that higher production alone will not be sufficient to strengthen the horticulture economy. Greater focus is required on productivity, value addition, efficient marketing and climate resilience.
With horticulture providing livelihoods to a large section of the population in Jammu and Kashmir, the roadmap calls for a shift from expanding cultivated area towards improving the performance and resilience of existing orchards.
