Tasneem Kabir Apple
Since the longest of times, the apple has been a symbolic, almost mystical fruit, with clerics attributing the fall of Adam from the mighty heavens to it, thus placing it right at the pinnacle of the beginning of humanity.
What’s more, one of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that as late as the 17th century, the word “apple” was used as a generic term for all (foreign) fruit other than berries. For instance, when tomatoes were introduced into Europe, they were called “love apples”.
In one Old English work, cucumbers are called eorþæppla (literally meaning “earth-apples”), just as in French, Dutch, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Persian as well as several other German dialects, the words for potatoes mean “earth-apples”.
This emblematic fruit has been something of a boom to the economy of Kashmir, contributing a stellar 70% to the GDSP of the state and 77% to the state’s horticulture output.
This union of soil and fruit has been nurtured well, for around 20% of the arable land of the state is under horticultural crop, and among horticultural crops in the state, apples occupy prime position, with about 49% of total area under fruit crops dedicated to apple farming.
While the state has a monopoly over the production of walnut, it remains the largest producer of apple pan-India, producing about 77% of all apple production in the country.
Realising the contribution, impressive growth patterns and contribution of this sector, the state government, in a welcome move, detached it from the Department of Agriculture and established a full-fledged Department of Horticulture, which now oversees apple production more keenly, for the focus has been craftily narrowed down.
While the numbers and figures are looking up, there are other grave realities that command our attention.
Yet, apple production in Kashmir has been average, neglecting the potential this occupation houses, mostly due to lack of integration of the aforementioned methods.
The average productivity is a mere 10-12 t/ha, owing to number of reasons like old, senile and unproductive traditional apple orchards, improper orchard practices, faulty training and pruning system etc. Such situations call for appropriate inculcations and introductions, with the latest and most relevant technique in this case being High Density Apple Plantation (HDP), which facilitates the increment of number of apple plants from 270/ha in traditional ones up to an impressive 3333/ha.
The HDP notion, successfully implemented across Europe, proposes an increase in the plant population per unit area for increasing the production of fruit crops.
The prime objective of the HDP is to increase the productivity by minimizing the row-row and plant-plant distance so as to allow the harvest of quality produce. Studies have pointed that if only 20-25% of the area under apple cultivation is brought under HD farming, then over the next 5 years, the industry will expand 5 times, thus rising from Rs. 3000 crores to an industry valued at a commendable Rs. 15000 crores.
This would also pave way for multiple employment opportunities, and hence put the angst of the youth and the employable to utilitarian use.
In 2017, the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti created enthusiasm amongst apple growers when she unveiled the ‘High Density Apple Plantation Scheme’ (2017). The scheme which is backed by low-cost hassle free loan facility to be provided by the J&K Bank, is loaded with 50% ’front-end’ subsidy.
To aid this scheme and kickstart it, rootstocks were procured from Holland upto the tune of 1.73 crore and were planted at Zainapora (Shopian) and SKUAST-K.
Additionally, the state government proposed a policy of 50:50, wherein the government will bear installation costs upto 50% to enable the farmers who wish to amalgamate HDP with their practises.
This has done much to motivate the sparking of a phenomenon of inclusion of the viable technique of HDP. As for results, during the very 1st year,about six tonnes of harvest were obtained and an estimate holds that after 5-6 years, 50-60t/ha can be harvested, which is about a five-fold increase to that of our traditional systems!
Lastly, there are multiple challenges that plague our apple production sector in particular, and the horticulture sector in general, the primal one being the sustainability of our produce – our apple produce ought to fare well in the international market as well.
The sob story of our almond produce, that had to be cut down due to incompetence before Californian almonds (both of a superior quality and cheaper) should not be repeated with the apple sector.
Under these circumstances, there areenormous expectations to meet and stringent responsibilities to be carried out by our cardinal agricultural institute (SKUAST-K) to evolve the high quality market oriented varieties. Another cause for concern is the lack or failure of extension: Our researches and novel introduction of various schemes and modi operandi will be futile, lest they reach the farthest-flung farmers.
This is becomes more pertinent for HDP, for it requires approaches totally at odds with traditional methods of farming
All in all, it’s astounding a mere green-red, citrus-packed, rounded-to-perfection edible item can drive a colossal economy and bring it to the foreground.
Seeing as nature has been compassionate to us with its bounty, the responsibility extends to each and every citizen associated with the said sector in one way or another to ensure a glitch-free functioning of this utterly rewarding practice.
