J&K administration launches project to reduce imports and increase production of vegetables

In order to reduce the import of vegetables and increase the income of the farmers, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is introducing a project for the cultivation of non-native vegetables, including broccoli, along with traditional vegetables.

SRINAGAR (J&K): The Jammu and Kashmir administration launched Rs 400 crore 'Vegetable Promotion' project to increase crop production and reduce import dependency. The management has set a production target of 5,96,000 metric tonnes in the next five years. The 'Vegetable Promotion' project will focus on the cultivation of exotic vegetable varieties.

At present, Jammu and Kashmir is dependent on imports to meet their vegetable requirements. Jammu and Kashmir annually imports more than 318.26 thousand metric tonnes of vegetables worth Rs 636.52 crore from other states, including Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. From setting up large-scale vegetable nurseries to hi-tech polyhouses, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has earmarked Rs 400 crore for the project. According to a project document obtained by ETV Bharat, the administration has set a target of increasing vegetable production to 2,587 metric tonnes by 1991.

According to the document, “It aims to increase vegetable cultivation by 165 to 250 per cent. After the implementation of this project, a surplus of 68,000 metric tonnes will be generated annually from the fifth year.” Under this project, 1,100 new hi-tech greenhouses and 3,548 new poly greenhouses for high-value vegetables are in various districts of Jammu and Kashmir. House-based vegetable nurseries will be established.

"It will be established to supply quality planting material to the new vegetable nursery," the document added. New interventions under the project, include the popularisation of precision farming techniques to increase crop intensity and research and development to design new region-specific methods of vegetable cultivation.

The project will also focus on the cultivation of exotic vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, lettuce, red cabbage and others to increase the profitability of vegetable farmers. According to the document, these exotic vegetables provide a unique opportunity for the vegetable growers of Jammu and Kashmir to meet the demand for these vegetables in high-end markets. Value addition and market access are key areas that the management will focus on throughout this project.

Under this plan, the administration has also focused on creating 47,250 jobs and 4,648 businesses over the next five years. Talking about this project, Director of Agriculture Department (Kashmir) Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal said that "the demand of vegetables will be met to a great extent by the implementation of the project." He further said, "The quality of imported vegetables in terms of nutrition and freshness, however, is affected due to long transportation and spoilage of produce due to which vegetables are imported at almost double the estimated cost."