SRINAGAR: As many as 599 beneficiaries in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency have been assisted under the High-Density Plantation Programme, with 244.646 hectares covered between 2016-17 and 2025-26, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The programme recorded its highest annual coverage in 2025-26, when 58.036 hectares were brought under high-density plantations and 277 beneficiaries were assisted, the data provided by the State Horticulture Mission, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, showed.
The figures were disclosed in response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2692, raised by Shri Abdul Rashid Sheikh, seeking details of measures for developing apple orchards and walnut production in North Kashmir, GI tagging and export promotion in the Baramulla constituency, cold storage infrastructure and high-density plantations.
The Union Government said high-density apple plantation is being promoted across Jammu and Kashmir, including North Kashmir, under the High-Density Plantation (HDP) Scheme of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) and the Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP).
The initiatives support the establishment of high-density orchards through quality planting material, trellis support systems, micro-irrigation, anti-hail nets, land development, plant protection measures and machinery. The objective is to promote early bearing, better fruit quality and higher productivity to help growers meet wider market requirements and global standards.
Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), assistance is available at 40 per cent in general areas and 50 per cent for Himalayan States and Union Territories, up to two hectares per beneficiary, according to approved cost norms. The assistance covers planting material and other input costs, including high-density plantation and rejuvenation of existing orchards, besides add-on components such as fruit bagging, weed mats, anti-hail protection and fencing.
On export promotion, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has undertaken initiatives to promote scheduled agricultural products from Jammu and Kashmir, including Baramulla district. These include apples, black carrots, GI-tagged Kashmir saffron, walnuts and almonds in overseas markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
APEDA has also organised International Buyer-Seller Meets and trade interactions in Srinagar and Jammu to connect exporters, Farmer Producer Organisations and overseas buyers. Financial assistance was provided for upgrading the food testing laboratory at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir to strengthen testing, quality assurance and traceability infrastructure.
Applications for GI tags have also been submitted for apple and walnut from Baramulla.
Baramulla has five Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage units established under MIDH, with a combined capacity of 18,500 metric tonnes. These include units established by M/s Kachroo and M/s Alpine Fresh Art in 2012-13, M/s H.N. Agrichain Pvt. Ltd. in 2013-14, and M/s North Fresh Agro Cold Chain Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Nundreshi in 2018-19.
The Union Territory Capital Expenditure Budget is also supporting the establishment of CA storage infrastructure in North Kashmir. In addition, 28 cold storage and cold chain projects have been approved in Kashmir under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
The National Horticulture Board released a subsidy of Rs 422.82 lakh in 2023-24 for a CA storage project in Baramulla district with a capacity of 5,832 metric tonnes. APEDA has separately extended financial support to an APEDA-registered exporter for setting up an integrated packhouse in Jammu and Kashmir for processing horticultural produce.
The data showed that high-density plantations covered 13.12 hectares involving 26 beneficiaries in 2016-17, while the programme covered 2.183 hectares and four beneficiaries in 2018-19. Coverage rose to 31.48 hectares in 2019-20, 51.332 hectares in 2020-21, 15.0875 hectares in 2021-22, 28.3865 hectares in 2022-23, 19.094 hectares in 2023-24, 25.927 hectares in 2024-25 and 58.036 hectares in 2025-26, taking the cumulative coverage to 244.646 hectares and the number of beneficiaries to 599.
