High density apples revolutionizing J&K’s apple industry, say growers
Pulwama: The high density apple farming is revolutionizing apple industry in J&K as according to growers the returns from high density apples is fetching them good returs compared to traditional varieties.
Growers from different areas of Kashmir say that high density apple farming has revolutionized the horticulture sector as growers are fetching handsome returns that too just after a year of planting these varieties.
They said that new varieties of apple were introduced in Kashmir after 2015 and the best thing about them is that the plants start bearing fruits just a year after their plantation and reach full production in the 4th or 5th year.
They said traditional apple trees start bearing fruits at least 15 years after plantation and are harvested in November. This at times causes growers to sustain damages due to untimely snowfall, but high density apples are harvested in August-September only and have facilities available to save them from hailstorm and other natural calamities
Tariq Ahmad Bhat, having high density apples on around 8 canals of land in Nowpora Pulwama said that as people have noticed the benefits of high density apple farming, they have started cutting old traditional trees and plant high density apple trees.
He said that demand for these trees is very high and people have to wait for years together to get these trees.
He said that high density apple farming requires low input cost, less labour cost while quality of apple is high with uniformity in colour and size.
Jeromine, King Roat, Gala Scarlet, Red Velox, Scarlet Spur-II, Super Chief, Redlum Gala, and Auvi Fuji are some of these varieties grown in J&K currently, he added.
Growers said that the high density apples are fetching handsome amount as compared to traditional varieties as rates go more than double than the traditional varieties.
“You don’t need to wait for decades to get fruit but in the very first year, high density plants start bearing fruits with bumper crop every year besides requiring less fertilizers and pesticides,” they said.
Experts said that high density apples grown here are quite similar to apples grown in other countries but we lack grading skills.
“If we will be able to improve our grading, our apple can compete with apple of other countries besides that this industry will grow further,” they said .
Officials said that high density apple orchards are revolutionizing this sector and very soon such plants will be available here as such nurseries are being established.
They said that 50 percent subsidy is provided to orchardists who establish high-density fruit production orchards.
Notably, in September 2015, the then J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed inaugurated the state’s first-ever high-density apple orchard at Bamdoora in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kashmir on an average produces over 20 lakh metric tonnes of apple every year, a figure that in some years touches 25 lakh metric tonnes.
The 2017 economic survey in J&K said that half of Kashmir’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on the apple industry and over 3.5 lakh hectares are under apple cultivation.
Horticulture is an essential contributor to SGDP with a share of about 9.5 percent besides that 8.50 crore man-days are generated through horticulture in J&K every year, the official data points out.
Jahangeer Ganaie
