About 62 lakh MTs of apples produced in Kashmir in last three years: Govt

By: Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar: J&K government on Friday said that approximately 62  lakh mertic tons (MT) of apples were produced in Jammu & Kashmir over the past three years, “while an effective mechanism has been put in place to ensure the availability of quality agricultural inputs to farmers.”

Responding to a query from Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri, MLA Bijbehara, Minister for Agriculture Production said that J&K produced 20.40 LMT of apples in 2022-23, 20.64 LMT in 2023-24, and 20.56 LMT in 2024-25, bringing the total production to around 62 LMT over three years.

Addressing concerns regarding the sale of substandard fertilisers and pesticides, the minister said the Department of Agriculture has established a robust monitoring system to ensure the distribution of quality inputs, including pesticides, fertilisers, and seeds among the farming community.

“All companies must register their products under relevant regulations, including the Insecticides Act of 1968, the Fertilizer Control Order of 1985, and the Seed Act of 1966. The Directorate of Enforcement within the Agriculture Department actively monitors quality parameters to prevent the sale of substandard products,” he said.

The minister said the horticulture sector plays a significant role in J&K’s economy and serves as a source of livelihood for 35 lakh people, directly or indirectly involving around 7 lakh families. “In 2021-22, horticulture production stood at 23.41 LMT, with 12.07 LMT exported. In 2022-23, production increased to 27.21 LMT, with 17.48 LMT exported. The following year, 26.43 LMT were produced, with exports reaching 18.57 LMT. So far, in 2024-25, 26.46 LMT of horticulture produce has been recorded, with exports amounting to 13.13 LMT,” he said.

Regarding Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage, the minister said the estimated requirement is 6.00 LMT, which accounts for 30% of annual fruit production.

Currently, J&K has a storage capacity of 2.70 LMT, with an additional 0.37 LMT being added this year, bringing the total capacity to 3.07 LMT. Most CA storage facilities are located in the Industrial Growth Centre at Lassipora, Pulwama, and the Industrial Estate at Aglar, Shopian. Efforts are ongoing, in collaboration with the Industries and Commerce Department, to establish sector-specific industrial estates for horticulture and post-harvest management in other districts.

To realise the full potential of the horticulture sector, the government said it has undertaken several initiatives, including the High-Density Plantation Scheme. Since the scheme’s inception in 2016-17, an area of 663 hectares has been covered, and during 2024-25, an additional 173 hectares were brought under high-density plantations, bringing the total to 836 hectares as of January 2025, the minister said.

The minister also highlighted efforts in agricultural marketing through the e-NAM (National Agricultural Market) initiative. He said a network of fruit and vegetable markets has been established across J&K to facilitate better marketing for growers and traders, creating employment opportunities. Currently, 24 mandis are operational, with 13 more under development. Seventeen mandis are integrated with the e-NAM portal, allowing electronic transactions, and over 50,000 farmers and traders have registered on the platform.

Various government schemes, such as the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Rainfed Area Development (RAD) for irrigation support, Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) for promoting food processing industries, Farm Mechanization, and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), are being implemented to promote the horticulture sector, he said.

The minister reiterated the importance of CA storage facilities in increasing the shelf life of fruit crops and preventing distress sales. Currently, 2.70 LMT of CA storage is available in J&K, and with nine new CA storage projects adding 0.37 LMT, the total capacity will rise to 3.07 LMT this year, he said. —(KNO)