News Topic:Horticulture

Fresh snowfall in parts of Kashmir, especially higher reaches, on Friday has ignited hope of a revival of tourism and farming sectors in Kashmir.

Central government has amended its import policy for apples by introducing Minimum Important Price (MIP) and banning the import of apples costing below Rs 50 per kg.

The conversion from agriculture to horticulture has one simple reason as fruits bring more money to farmers than rice.

In Pulwama district, where apples and other fruits are cultivated on a large scale, there are thousands of canals in the district where only almonds are cultivated.

Farmers in J&K have been switching from paddy farming as the Union Territory has witnessed over 400 per cent increase in the area under horticulture since 1975.

Despite the bumper cherry crop this year, very low rates of the produce are marring the hopes of growers across the Kashmir Valley.

In wake of the deficient rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir in the past over one month, the experts here have suggested the farmers take all the necessary steps.

A fruit grower in Kashmir's Budgam district purchased and installed the valley's first-ever Apple Washing & Grading machine on Thursday.