Not too long ago, the road from Budgam to Srinagar International Airport used to be lined by almond orchards. However, over the years, massive urbanization has caused the orchards to disappear.
In Budgam district, the second largest grower of almonds in the Kashmir Valley, many almond growers have now started growing apples instead. In 2015 alone, the district lost 5,665 hectares of land where almonds once used to be grown. But urbanization apart, poor prices for local varieties and competition from imports have contributed to dwindling production of almonds in Kashmir.
“Almost 95 percent of growers removed almond trees in Kanji Naag village, situated 3 kilometres from the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. The growers have replaced their almond orchards with apple orchards,” one grower said.
Among Indian states, almonds are grown in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra, but the Kashmiri varieties are famous both for their quality. In 2021-22, Kashmir accounted for 91.26 percent of almond production in India, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 8.73 percent and Maharashtra with 0.09 percent.
The Karewas of Awantipora in Pulwama district, the No. 1 producer of almonds in Kashmir, were once dotted by almond trees, but not anymore. Hundreds of acres of land where almonds were once grown in Koil, Awantipora, Payar, Chandigam, Lajoora, Pahnard, Pachnargd and Thokernag villages of Pulwama have shifted to other crops.
Source: moneycontrol.com