Kashmir fruit growers welcome crop insurance scheme
Urge government to ensure ground-level implementation
Pulwama: Fruit growers across Kashmir Valley have welcomed the government’s decision to introduce and strengthen the Crop Insurance Scheme for horticulture, calling it a long-pending relief for a sector that forms the backbone of the region’s rural economy.
However, orchardists have strongly cautioned the administration against limiting the scheme to official announcements, stressing that its real success lies in honest and effective implementation on the ground.
For years, Kashmir’s apple and fruit growers have borne the brunt of unpredictable weather — from untimely snowfall and hailstorms to prolonged dry spells and heatwaves — causing massive losses season after season. While the announcement of crop insurance has revived hope, growers say only timely compensation and easy access can restore their confidence.
“Every year we lose our crops to hailstorms, frost or drought, and no one comes to assess the real damage,” said Abdul Rashid Bhat, an apple grower from Shopian. “The crop insurance scheme sounds good on paper, but we request the government not to keep it confined to files. It must reach orchards, not offices.”
Similarly, growers in Pulwama and Baramulla districts echoed the same sentiment, highlighting that small and marginal farmers suffer the most when crops fail.
“We invest lakhs in fertilizers, sprays, labour and irrigation,” said Ghulam Nabi Dar, a fruit grower from Pulwama. “When nature strikes, everything is destroyed within minutes. If insurance compensation is delayed or complicated, it becomes meaningless. The process should be simple, fast and transparent.”
Many orchardists pointed out that previous relief measures often failed due to poor assessment mechanisms and bureaucratic hurdles.
“Officials come, take a few photos and disappear. After that, we don’t hear anything,” said Zahoor Ahmad, a grower from Sopore.
But we hope now that such things won’t happen now as under this scheme deserving people get definitely benefit now, they said.
Growers’ associations across the Valley have also welcomed the move, calling it a critical step toward stabilizing the horticulture economy, which supports lakhs of families directly and indirectly.
“The crop insurance scheme can be a game changer for Kashmir’s horticulture sector if implemented sincerely,” said Bashir Ahmad Bashir President fruit growers association. “But if it remains only a budget announcement, farmers will continue to sink into debt. We urge the administration to ensure awareness campaigns, easy enrolment and prompt compensation.”
Experts believe that with climate change increasing the frequency of extreme weather events in Kashmir, insurance coverage is no longer optional but essential for the survival of the sector.
As the Valley’s fruit harvest season approaches, growers remain hopeful but cautious — welcoming the policy decision while keeping a close watch on how swiftly and fairly it translates into real relief on the ground.
“Our demand is simple,” said groawer Abdul Rashid. “Announce less if needed, but whatever you announce — implement it honestly.”
