Kashmir Shifts From Paddy to Apples, Increasing Reliance on Outside Rice

The agricultural landscape of Kashmir is undergoing a significant transformation, with traditional paddy fields increasingly giving way to apple orchards. Nazir Ahmad, a farmer from Qaimoh, a village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, vividly illustrates this shift, noting that land covered in apple saplings today was entirely paddy just twenty years ago. Despite this change, the irrigation channels originally established for paddy cultivation still run through the fields, now feeding the new apple plantations.

This widespread trend sees farmers across Kashmir replacing food crops with horticulture, particularly apple orchards. The primary driver is the pursuit of higher returns amid escalating cultivation costs. For individual growers, the economic calculation is clear: paddy offers modest earnings, while high-density apple plantations promise substantially higher incomes. This transition, while beneficial for farmers' individual finances, is leading to a broader consequence for the region: the Kashmir Valley is becoming increasingly dependent on outside states for its staple food, rice.

Nisar Ahmed, also from Kulgam district, exemplifies this economic rationale. He previously cultivated paddy on his nine-kanal (0.46 hectares) farmland, which yielded an annual income of between ₹30,000 and ₹50,000. Facing losses, he converted his land to a high-density apple orchard a few years ago. Following this shift, Nisar and his family witnessed a considerable increase in their earnings, now reporting around ₹4 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs (₹400,000-500,000) every season. Similarly, Fareed Ahmed Wagay, another farmer who converted six kanals (0.30 hectares) of paddy land into an apple orchard, also confirmed that paddy cultivation could not fetch healthy returns, prompting hundreds of farmers to transition towards horticulture.

What to watch: The long-term impact on Kashmir Valley's food security and agricultural balance.

Editor's note: Excellent reporting that synthesizes the source material effectively, including specific farmer names and financial data.