Almond production dips rapidly as people prefer to grow apples
Pulwama: The production of almonds is decreasing at an alarming rate as large number of people prefer to grow apples over almonds, locals said Wednesday.
The farmers from different areas of Kashmir are converting more and more land into apple orchards. In many areas farmers have cut down almond trees to start apple cultivation, they said.
Hundreds of canals of land have been cleared off from almond trees in Renzipora, Koil, Chandgam, Payar, Lajoora, Wasoora,Yader, Malangpora areas of Pulwama during the past few years.
A local from Chandgam area said that only three to five percent of land is under almond cultivation and the rest has been converted into apple orchards
In the coming year there will be no traces of almond trees as every year almond trees are cleared from hundreds of canals of land and converted into apple orchards, he said.
Bashir Ahmad, another local from Wasoora area said that theKarewas are suitable for almond cultivation but farmers are turning to Apple cultivation as it gets good price in the market.
It was duty of horticulture department to show up and ask people how to increase almond production but no technical guidance is given to farmers, he added.
He said that the government should have introduced high density almonds and walnuts to stop farmers from transforming land into apple orchards.
Like every year this year also farmers have been using JCB dozers to uproot almond trees because almonds cultivation has become very less productive and beneficial to them, he added.
Notably, Tral area of the district which was known for the production of quality almonds is also turning to Apple production.
In main Tral, Shaldraman, Kahlil, Chaan kitar, Paribal and others areas farmers have cleared whole almond trees and have started apple plantations.
A local from Tral area said that all marketing, grading and packing facilities have been developed by government for Apple trees but no focus is being provided to dry fruits which lured farmers to turn to Apple cultivation.
As per official figures the land under almond orchards was 16,775 hectares in year 2001-02 while as it was only 6, 973 hectares in 2014-15.
From 6973 hectares in year 2014-15, it has reduced to only 3630 hectares in year 2017-18 which shows at which speed land under almond trees is reducing.
Diseases have also affected the almond production as the horticulture department failed to control the disease properly, another local said while adding that if the trend of cutting almond trees continues within 4 to 5 years south Kashmir will free from almond cultivation.
An officer of horticulture department said that it is comparative high price and market demand of apples which turns people to shun the almonds cultivation.
“We can’t stop any body from clearing almond trees and from starting apple cultivation as there is no government order in this regard,” he said.
He said that the government has been introducing high density almonds and walnuts so that more people can get attracted towards almond cultivation.
