Mir Mudasir Pesticides
As the spring arrived after one of the toughest winters in the recent pasts in Kashmir, the orchards in Kashmir are full of activities once again. The flowers sprouting on trees, leaves gradually emerging out are yet again promising a new hope of life to these trees. For the majority of people in Kashmir these unending orchards are proving their lifeline. Approximately sixty per cent population in valley is relying on these orchards to sustain their livelihood.
These people over the past few years face tough times since the quality of their crop is witnessing degradation due to unchecked spurious pesticides supplied in the market. As this was not enough to trigger the panic among the farmers, the arrival of duty free Iran apple is yet another threat the Kashmir’s fruit industry is facing.
Earlier the growers used to go for couple of sprays in their orchards to save the fruit crop from various diseases, unfortunately now even after seven to eight sprays disease still are visible in the orchards. Last year in north and central Kashmir most of the fruit had scab which affected its market value.
Of late, the fungicide and pesticide has become big market in Kashmir and crores are being spent by growers to safe guard their orchards. Much to the disappointment of these farmers, the pesticides not only prove ineffective, however, damage the crop further instead of protecting it from diseases.
Horticulture is the J&K’s mainstay trade with revenue generation upto whopping Rs 10000 Crores annually. As per the official figures, Horticulture contributes around 8% towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Union Territory besides generating employment avenues for the younger generation. Currently, seven lakh farming families comprising 35 lakh people are directly or indirectly associated with the sector and this sector can’t be ignored as the fruit has lifted thousands of farmers and growers from poverty. The sale of spurious pesticides and fungicides is turning to be a biggest threat to the only vibrant trade of Kashmir which is spread over thousands of hectares across Kashmir.
Though there is a full-fledged department of the Enforcement Directorate for keeping close watch on the spurious pesticides, unfortunately the department hasn’t come to the expectations of the growers who think most of the officials are hand in glow with the dealers selling B grade pesticides which in the long run proves very damaging to the orchards.
Time has come when government should take this issue seriously and form a new department which should educate growers and farmers about the use of pesticides. Currently, in some cases some growers even after going for a dozen sprays couldn’t save their fruit harvest.
Only last year after the initial investigations department came to know the growers who had sprayed quality pesticides had their fruit saved from the scab, while the growers who had sprayed new quality of pesticides had their orchards engulfed with scab and growers didn’t get good amount for their harvest. This year the government is planning to enhance the budget for the horticulture sector, however, the government should formulate a proper plan which will prove beneficial for the growers in the long way. So far government has failed to do so as the people who are involved in this business are from a very powerful lobby and officials are reluctant to take action against them.
On its part the government is starting the process to increase the production and quality of apples by taking baby steps. The big step to enhance the production is to establish high density orchards. Last week, the J&K government’s administrative council met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha and approved the implementation of high-density plantation scheme in the horticulture sector with the support of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED). This step, officials claim will go a long way in enhancing the quality and quantity of horticulture produce and doubling the farmer’s income.
It’s not only the apple but walnut, almond, cherry, litchi, and olive at suitable agro-climatic zones for six years beginning from this March.
“The new high-density plantation scheme has provisions to provide 50% subsidy to orchardists for the establishment of high-density orchards accompanied by a loan facility for raising 40% of remaining capital. The scheme will also provide subsidies to the growers on account of expenditure related to micro-irrigation, plant material, and anti-hail nets. Under the scheme, preference will be given to farmers with landholdings of less than 4 kanal,” the spokesman said while giving the details of administrative council meeting.
“The high-density plantations are expected to make horticulture profitable through superior yields, higher yields per hectare, early harvest, and introduction of insect and pest resistance varieties thereby saving the expenditure on disease and pest control and it will be implemented with the support of NAFED,” the spokesman said.
NAFED will also install a high-tech laboratory for certification of the horticulture produce on international standards, virus indexing laboratories, and will arrange for imports of the specified qualities and species from identified countries.
In the last two years, 5,000 kanals (625 acres) of high-density orchards have been established in the Valley. They are likely to start producing fruit within one or two years. Medium density plantations that bear fruit after five years have been set up over 48,000 kanals (6,000 acres) across Kashmir, as per official data. However, growers say the establishment of high density is good step but first the government should give priority to the existing orchards which are backbone of the horticulture, otherwise this sector could witness slump which will ruin thousands of families and trigger the economic disaster in valley.
