J&K’s net irrigated area falls to 42.08%, reveals official data

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Ziraat Times
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By: Sajid Raina

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir’s agricultural sector is undergoing significant shifts, with fluctuations in irrigation coverage, cropping intensity, and productivity per hectare, according to the latest data from the government.

One of the biggest concerns emerging from the data is the declining net irrigated area in J&K. The percentage of net irrigated area has dropped from 43.00% in 2021-22 to 42.08% in 2023-24.

Official data suggests Srinagar leads in irrigation coverage with 76.87% of its net sown area irrigated, followed by Ganderbal (79.69%) and Budgam (69.88%).

In contrast, Reasi (5.98%), Ramban (5.83%), and Doda (7.78%) remain the least irrigated districts, leaving farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture.

Jammu, a major agricultural district, saw its irrigation coverage decline from 63.81% in 2021-22 to 62.47% in 2023-24, signaling water shortages and changing land use.

Rice remains J&K’s most irrigated crop, but the area under irrigation for rice declined from 2.31 lakh hectares in 2022-23 to 2.23 lakh hectares in 2023-24. Despite this, the percentage of total area sown under rice that is irrigated increased to 86.57%.

Wheat irrigation improved slightly, covering 0.93 lakh hectares in 2023-24, with an increase in the percentage of sown area under irrigation.

Maize, pulses, and barley remain the least irrigated crops, with only 7.12% of maize and 7.51% of cereals/pulses under irrigation.

While cropping intensity improved slightly, moving from 99 in 2021-22 to 100 in 2023-24, the index of productivity per hectare saw a significant jump from 125 in 2020-21 to 147 in 2023-24. This suggests that farmers are producing more per hectare, likely due to modern techniques, high-yield crop varieties, and improved farm inputs.

However, with net sown area remaining stagnant at 103% of the base year (2019-20), agricultural expansion seems to have slowed, raising concerns about land conversion and urbanization reducing farmland.  —(KNO)

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