Hope for the economy
Economy of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed some improvement since the past few years now. The reason primarily being better management of economic affairs and promoting sectors that have the potential to create wonders for the overall good of the UT.
One such sector that has seen a serious intervention by the government so as to ensure its further growth is the Horticulture sector. The sector is one of the important growth parameters in Jammu and Kashmir as it contributes immensely to the economy here.
This sector strengthens the financial condition of people associated with it and also helps in poverty alleviation, employment generation and other developmental aspects. The variety of horticultural products of J&K has earned world-wide fame because of its good quality and taste.
Horticulture has tremendous potential to reach the sky as the region offers favourable conditions for growing various crops that include apple, almonds, walnuts, pears, cherries and apricots in temperate areas and mango, citrus, litchi, papaya, guava etc in subtropical areas.
Besides, the most valuable produce that is Saffron is also a unique cultivation which ha least competition from across the globe as only a few countries have the environs to develop this cultivation and exploit its full potential.
Horticulture sector has been maintaining its growth trajectory and estimates suggest that the industry brings over Rs 10,000 crore, contributing 8% to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). According to the public authority figures, 7.5 lakh families of around 35 lakh souls are associated with this sector, the officials added.
Horticulture Industry has proved that it has the capacity to shape the economy of the region and emerge as prime contributor to growth which includes generating employment. This sector has emerged as one of the prime sectors for generating self employment avenues for the youth and engage them.
Horticulture can transform the economy of UT tremendously over the next decade by creating job opportunities, increasing the production to maximum economic growth, ecological development and poverty alleviation.
As of now an area of 3.33 lakh hectares (2020-21) is under fruit cultivation. A production of 20.35 lakh MTs (2020-21) has been recorded and given the way the sector is witnessing growth and generating interest among the fresh entrepreneurs, the sector is bound to grow in coming years.
The apple market alone has reached 8000 Cr and is changing the lives of 30 lakh people connected with the sector. The region under cultivation of fruits in Jammu and Kashmir expanded from 2.21 lakh hectares in 2001 to 3.33 lakh hectares subsequently enlisting an increment of 1.22 lakh hectares in twenty years. This is quite a significant jump.
On one hand the land under agriculture has seen a continuous decline but on the other hand the area under horticulture has seen a huge increase which has cemented the latest position as a torch bearer of the economy.
What is more interesting and heartening is that the fruit production in the UT has impressively expanded. In 2001, the fruit production was recorded at 10.9 lakh metric tons and the same has now gone up to 24.44 lakh metric tons. This means that the growth can be multiplied provided that a right track is adopted and policies framed so that youth will participate in the growth process actively.
KV Network
