Srinagar, 18-Sep: As the Autumn season (Harud) sets in, Kashmir’s walnuts are produced for the markets in and outside Kashmir. J&K being the major walnut producing region contributes about 98 per cent of the total walnut exports from India to other countries.India ranks eighth in walnut production in the world. Kashmir produces 2.66 lakh metric tonnes of walnuts. More than 89000 hectares of land is under the walnut cultivation in the valley.People in Kashmir associated with the walnut industry are facing a lot of issues at every stage, from planting and harvesting to marketing. There are many factors responsible for this. There is shortage of quality plant material, poor orchard management, and long gestation period.“We have been demanding a local ‘mandi’ (wholesale market) in Shopian so that we can sell our produce directly without middlemen,” says Altaf wagay, a walnut grower in Arhama.Farmers are still using traditional methods. There is lack of infrastructure like transport, power supply, roads, mandis, and packaging and processing facilities. The post-harvesting methods used by farmers are primitive, resulting in reduced output of the crop. Also, due to lack of export-oriented policies, walnut exports have not grown much over the years.Meanwhile, Walnut growers are highly concerned about their stock as business was entirely down last year, and now with the Corona 3rd wave casting a shadow, prices may go down further this year.As per data quoted by the Department of Industries and Commerce in its Trade and Export Policy 2018-28, walnuts worth Rs 1,043 crore were exported from Kashmir in 2013-14. It dropped to Rs 341 crore in 2017-18.According to the Department of Horticulture, the kernels produced from Kashmiri walnuts are considered to be the best in the word.An official from the horticulture department said they are working to promote Kashmir based organic walnuts to increase sales in the national and international markets.Kashmir’s growers, however, are unable to tap into this growing demand due to the political situation in the union territory besides old farming methods which have not kept pace with the changing technology. Despite a bumper crop this year, walnut growers may just be paid peanuts for their labour of love.Walnut picking is a unique task of its kind; it is a risky task in which the perpetrator is in danger of losing his life. labourer skilled in the work of removing the walnuts should be smart, alert and brave too.Pertinently to mention, many labours associated with this business have lost their lives in past few days after falling from the walnut trees across Kashmir (CNS)
