From the terraced paddy fields in Budgam and Bandipora to the renowned apple orchards of Shopian, Sopore, and Pulwama, the Kashmiri farmer has shaped the land and culture of Kashmir. Agricultural life follows the seasons. Each of them is filled with hope and uncertainty: wandeh (winter) for endurance, soent (spring) for renewal, reh (summer) for work, and harud (autumn) for harvest.
The wisdom of Sheikh-Ul-Alam's proverb resonates still: "Ann poshi teli yeli wan poshi"—Food survives only if forests survive. This ancient ecological awareness predates modern environmental science.
Traditional tools like the shovel, kaanch, and kraal, crafted by local chhan (carpenters) and khaar (blacksmiths) have symbolised an economy where nature, community, and livelihood exist in harmony. This connection persists even today as elders still observe the sky, snowline, and almond buds to predict the harvest.
Farmers' Woes
Thousands of farmers tend apple orchards, saffron fields, and paddies, sustained for generations by the fertile Karewas. Yet despite Kashmir's natural abundance and renowned produce, agriculture here grows increasingly difficult and uncertain.
The high cost of inputs, declining profits, and land fragmentation are highlights of the farmers' woes. Increased dependence on pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers and fungicides have put further financial and emotional pressure on farmers. Most of them still toil in the land which is a legacy they simply cannot shun. Their worries have multiplied in recent years.
While orchards have been ruined by repeated hailstorms and floods, the repeated highway closures have slowed transportation and incurred losses of produce after harvest, pushing the price of apples to record lows. The landslides and closure of highways this year made the markets inaccessible to apple growers and traders, whose produce rotted in the absence of adequate cold storage facilities.
My connection with farming
I speak not as an observer but as someone who has lived farming. It shaped my family's identity and our bond with the land. In 1974, my father completed matriculation, a significant achievement back then. Yet he chose to stay with the soil, not due to lack of opportunity but because of an emotional and cultural connection with the land.
I remember him leaving before dawn, his steps sure but his hands calloused. He sowed crops with faith and silent prayers. Every season tested him with drought, frost, pests, and failing markets. Yet he never complained. He looked at each spring bloom, each apple picked, each sack stored with gratitude. His relationship with the land taught me what no book could: a farmer's true wealth isn't in land, equipment, or harvest, but in the hope for rain, for fertile soil, for a better tomorrow.
Some pragmatic incentives
In recent years, India has launched several initiatives for agriculture modernisation. These include the high-density plantation model, support for irrigation, subsidy for mechanisation, FPOs and digital market platforms such as e-NAM. Newer schemes like PM-DDKY and Mission for Aatmanirbhar Pulses focus on food security, crop diversification and better storage infrastructure. Ongoing schemes such as SMAM and Gramin Bhandaran Yojna support mechanisation and warehousing.
In Jammu & Kashmir, given horticulture's importance in the rural economy, schemes such as MIDH, High Density Apple Plantation Programme, PM-Kisan, PMFME and RKVY have focused on improvements in orchards, farmer training and mechanisation. The HADP of Rs 5,000 crore has advanced precision farming, GI tagging, branding, cold storage expansion and post-harvest support.
Recently, the Centre announced that Jammu & Kashmir has been receiving horticulture relief through SDRF, NDRF and the PMDP package. Revised compensation norms vary from Rs 8,500 to Rs 22,500 per hectare with Rs 460.33 crore released under the Rs 500 crore PMDP scheme.
To increase high-density apple cultivation, the government has provided more support for quality planting material, modern trellis systems, drip irrigation, fertigation and anti-hail nets.
Under cluster-based horticulture programs and the HADP, farmers are being encouraged to use disease-free certified planting material, maintain better canopies and plant climate-resilient varieties.
New facilities such as pack houses, grading units and cold storage are being developed to help growers secure better prices and reduce post-harvest losses.
Challenges persist
Despite such support and incentives, challenges like administrative delays, low awareness, poor insurance implementation, inadequate cold storage and high initial investments in modern farming hamper growth. Climate risks, volatile markets and weak value addition infrastructure add further pressure
Alongside modern methods, we must value ancient organic practices that sustained farming for centuries. Traditional Kashmiri farming used natural manures, crop rotation, mixed cropping and seasonal cycles, preserving soil fertility and biodiversity. These practices were cost-effective, environmentally sound and culturally appropriate.
Today, amid soil degradation, chemical residues and climate change, blending traditional knowledge with modern technology can create more resilient, sustainable farming. Reviving organic methods, especially in horticulture, can improve soil health, produce quality and open premium markets for residue-free Kashmiri products.
The path forward
The path forward requires not just policy but fair, timely and accessible implementation. Farmers need support in storage, processing, insurance, digital literacy and market access. Only then can agriculture shift from struggle to sustainability.
As Kisan Diwas (December 23) is observed across India, also in Jammu and Kashmir, it is important to appreciate not just the idea of farming but also the life and sacrifices involved. Every basket of apples of Shopian, every fibre of saffron of Pampore, every walnut and every grain of rice is a tale of patience, of trouble and perseverance to the country.
The unpredictable weather affecting farmers, the uncertainty in the market, the increase of input costs, and silent struggles is something that farmers encounter. We should have long-overdue reforms and make their future comfortable and dignified.
These involve assured and punctual payment of damages associated with climate changes, high quality cold storage and processing in each district, international export of Kashmiri products, ready access developed to modern machinery by the means of farmer friendly rental centers, specialised medical care and insurance services to farming families, high quality housing of orchard farmers and special training centres that enable farmers grow into agri-entrepreneurs rather than being mere raw material producers.
We should also initiate current irrigation systems, organic agriculture, mechanization, and environmental-friendly systems, and at the same time honour the traditional knowledge delivered by generations. We must be able to combine tradition and modernity to move towards sustainable farming that fulfills our food security and also conserves the fragile ecosystem of Kashmir.
By implementing culturally-respectful solutions, Kashmiri agriculture can become a global sustainability model. In horticulture, especially apples, excess stock with poor storage and market links increases costs and exposes farmers to price crashes. Warehouse receipt financing and better infrastructure can reduce forced sales and stabilise incomes.
For crafts, innovative financing like inventory-based lending and revenue-based models can convert unsold stock into working capital while preserving artisanal values. Technology-driven, sector-specific financing reforms that unlock even a fraction of inventory capital will boost growth, strengthen resilience and better connect Kashmir's traditional economy to national and global markets, transforming Valley agriculture.
Let this day mean more than just a ritual or a symbolic tribute.
Have you liked the news article?