Srinagar: In order to boost the horticulture sector, the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir economy, the government has put forth various schemes including the provision of two lakh high yielding plants, 404 vermicompost plants, twenty controlled atmosphere storage projects. The horticulture sector contributes over 8 per cent towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment generation.
Official data revealed that 700,000 farming families amounting to 35 lakh population are directly and indirectly associated with this sector. To give further impetus to the horticulture sector, the Jammu and Kashmir government has taken several steps in terms of providing high-yielding plants and executing several other schemes.
Around 2 lakh high-quality plants have been produced in public sector nurseries and distributed among the farmers. Besides, three hi-tech walnut nurseries at Zawoora, Srinagar, Brakpora, Anantnag, Kupwara and Chandigam were established and about 20,000 walnut seedlings are being produced annually for further propagation in controlled conditions.
In order to complement the above-established nurseries, one almond/stone fruit nursery is being set up in southern Shopian district which would eventually produce about two lakh fruit plants annually. In addition to this, the Horticulture Department has established the Centre of Excellence at Zawoora Srinagar which would serve as a demonstration and training centre, besides providing germ plasma and clinical facility to the growers. So far 20 Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage Projects with 1.40 lakh metric tons of storage facility and 30 food processing projects have been created for fresh fruit retention.
The government has already declared horticulture a thrust area and has taken a number of steps like import of three lakh apple clonal rootstocks for multiplication and production of high-quality saplings. The import is likely to generate about 12 lakh root stock after two years.
