Srinagar, October 13: Agricultural land in Kashmir is increasingly under pressure from expanding urban settlements, infrastructure development and shifts in land use. Recent research has documented a sharp decline in farmland within the Srinagar study area, while government statistics indicate a reduction in the net sown area across Jammu and Kashmir.
A satellite-based study published in the journal City and Built Environment in March 2026 found that agricultural land in the mapped Srinagar study area decreased from nearly 14,230 hectares in 1992 to 6,589 hectares in 2024. The decline amounts to around 7,641 hectares, or 53.7 per cent, over 32 years.
The findings reflect substantial changes in the landscape surrounding Srinagar. However, the estimates apply only to the geographical area examined by the researchers and cannot be treated as figures for the entire Kashmir Valley.
Another peer-reviewed study focusing on land-use patterns in the central Kashmir Valley also recorded a considerable reduction in agricultural land. The share of the study area classified as agricultural declined from 55.77 per cent in 1992 to 39.68 per cent in 2015.
The researchers attributed these changes partly to urban growth and the conversion of paddy fields into horticultural land. Since the study covered a specific part of the Valley, its findings cannot be directly extended to every district of Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Economic Survey 2025-26 provides another indication of the changing agricultural landscape. According to the report, the Union Territory's net sown area fell from 738,030 hectares in 2023-24 to 729,000 hectares in 2024-25. This represents a reduction of 9,030 hectares, equivalent to approximately 1.2 per cent in one year.
The official figures cover both Jammu and Kashmir divisions and do not identify the share of the decline attributable specifically to the Kashmir Valley. Detailed district-level statistics are therefore needed to establish where cultivated land is declining and at what rate.
The expansion of Srinagar and its adjoining settlements has emerged as a key factor in the changing use of agricultural land. The development of residential colonies, commercial buildings, roads and other infrastructure has increased pressure on farmland located along the city's expanding boundaries.
At the same time, a change in cultivation does not always mean the permanent loss of agricultural land. When paddy fields are converted into orchards, for example, the area recorded under paddy or certain categories of cropland may decrease even though the land continues to support agricultural activity.
Distinguishing between these changes is essential. Land converted into buildings or other non-agricultural uses represents a different form of loss from land shifted from rice cultivation to horticulture. Both require separate assessment to understand their effects on Kashmir's agricultural economy.
Paddy cultivation remains an important component of the Valley's farming sector, while horticulture provides livelihoods and income to numerous households. The permanent conversion of productive farmland can have implications for local food production, farming communities and future land-use planning.
The government has a legal framework to regulate the conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. In March 2025, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Legislative Assembly that Section 133-A of the J&K Land Revenue Act deals with such conversions and requires permission from the competent authority, including the District Collector, wherever applicable.
Determining the effectiveness of these provisions requires more detailed information. Records of approved conversions, unauthorised construction, enforcement proceedings and measures taken to protect agricultural land would help establish how the regulations are being implemented.
A district-wise assessment could provide a clearer picture of the scale of agricultural land-use changes across Kashmir. Comparing historical satellite images with present-day revenue records would help identify areas converted for construction, fields left uncultivated and agricultural land shifted towards horticulture.
Existing research and government statistics indicate considerable changes in Kashmir's agricultural landscape. However, the available figures do not establish the total area of agricultural land permanently lost across the entire Kashmir Valley over a consistent period.
Srinagar, October 13: Agricultural land in Kashmir is increasingly under pressure from expanding urban settlements, infrastructure development and shifts in land use. Recent research has documented a sharp decline in farmland within the Srinagar study area, while government statistics indicate a reduction in the net sown area across Jammu and Kashmir.
A satellite-based study published in the journal City and Built Environment in March 2026 found that agricultural land in the mapped Srinagar study area decreased from nearly 14,230 hectares in 1992 to 6,589 hectares in 2024. The decline amounts to around 7,641 hectares, or 53.7 per cent, over 32 years.
The findings reflect substantial changes in the landscape surrounding Srinagar. However, the estimates apply only to the geographical area examined by the researchers and cannot be treated as figures for the entire Kashmir Valley.
Another peer-reviewed study focusing on land-use patterns in the central Kashmir Valley also recorded a considerable reduction in agricultural land. The share of the study area classified as agricultural declined from 55.77 per cent in 1992 to 39.68 per cent in 2015.
The researchers attributed these changes partly to urban growth and the conversion of paddy fields into horticultural land. Since the study covered a specific part of the Valley, its findings cannot be directly extended to every district of Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Economic Survey 2025-26 provides another indication of the changing agricultural landscape. According to the report, the Union Territory's net sown area fell from 738,030 hectares in 2023-24 to 729,000 hectares in 2024-25. This represents a reduction of 9,030 hectares, equivalent to approximately 1.2 per cent in one year.
The official figures cover both Jammu and Kashmir divisions and do not identify the share of the decline attributable specifically to the Kashmir Valley. Detailed district-level statistics are therefore needed to establish where cultivated land is declining and at what rate.
The expansion of Srinagar and its adjoining settlements has emerged as a key factor in the changing use of agricultural land. The development of residential colonies, commercial buildings, roads and other infrastructure has increased pressure on farmland located along the city's expanding boundaries.
At the same time, a change in cultivation does not always mean the permanent loss of agricultural land. When paddy fields are converted into orchards, for example, the area recorded under paddy or certain categories of cropland may decrease even though the land continues to support agricultural activity.
Distinguishing between these changes is essential. Land converted into buildings or other non-agricultural uses represents a different form of loss from land shifted from rice cultivation to horticulture. Both require separate assessment to understand their effects on Kashmir's agricultural economy.
Paddy cultivation remains an important component of the Valley's farming sector, while horticulture provides livelihoods and income to numerous households. The permanent conversion of productive farmland can have implications for local food production, farming communities and future land-use planning.
The government has a legal framework to regulate the conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. In March 2025, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Legislative Assembly that Section 133-A of the J&K Land Revenue Act deals with such conversions and requires permission from the competent authority, including the District Collector, wherever applicable.
Determining the effectiveness of these provisions requires more detailed information. Records of approved conversions, unauthorised construction, enforcement proceedings and measures taken to protect agricultural land would help establish how the regulations are being implemented.
A district-wise assessment could provide a clearer picture of the scale of agricultural land-use changes across Kashmir. Comparing historical satellite images with present-day revenue records would help identify areas converted for construction, fields left uncultivated and agricultural land shifted towards horticulture.
Existing research and government statistics indicate considerable changes in Kashmir's agricultural landscape. However, the available figures do not establish the total area of agricultural land permanently lost across the entire Kashmir Valley over a consistent period.
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