Agriculture is turning out to be a focus area of local investments in Jammu Kashmir as in the last three years vegetable production in the Union Territory has increased by 33 per cent.
During the period, the area under cultivation has also increased by 20 per cent.
As per the documents accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), vegetable production in Jammu and Kashmir was recorded 1337 thousand MT in the year 2019.
The annual vegetable production of Jammu and Kashmir has increased to 1995 thousand MT in the year 2022, thereby marking an uptick of 33 percent in the last three years. The area under cultivation, which was recorded 60,000 hectares in 2019, has also increased to 84000 hectares in 2022.
Documents reveal that in the year 2020, the production of vegetables in the Union Territory was recorded 1339 thousand MT, which was a hike of one percent in the annual production compared to the 2019.
In the year 2021, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded an annual production of vegetables 1890 thousand MT while the area under production increased to 84000 hectares in a year.
The boost in vegetable production officials attribute to a combination of factors, including strategic government initiatives, technological advancements, and the unwavering commitment of farmers.
Officials from the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Agriculture said that concerted efforts have been made to enhance agricultural practices and support farmers in adopting modern techniques.
“The agriculture department has been holding various programmes to educate farmers about the scope of modern farming. From saffron to production of exotic vegetables, the department held various programmes, which have yielded substantial results. Now our Kashmir produces exotic vegetables including broccoli, lettuce and sweet corn,” the official said.
Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir government recently launched a Rs 400 crore ‘Promotion of vegetables’ project to increase production and reduce dependence on imports.
Currently, Jammu and Kashmir has a high seasonal dependence on imports to meet vegetable demands. J&K imports more than 318.26 thousand metric tons of vegetables valuing Rs. 636.52 crores annually from states including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
From establishing vegetable nurseries to hi-tech playhouses at a mass scale, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has earmarked Rs 400 crore for this project.
The project document revealed that the administration is targeting to increase vegetable production from 1991 to 2587 thousand Metric Tons—(KNO)