by Iqbal Ahmad
Unless steps are taken to restore traditional varieties alongside commercial crops, the very foundation of Kashmir’s fruit culture will continue to erode.
This year again, the apple industry has been caught in a downward spiral, not only because of heavy fruit drop but also due to poor transportation and marketing caused by frequent highway closures. The fall of ripe apples during the peak harvesting season, combined with the continued closure of the main national highway, has badly affected the fruit economy of rural Kashmir. Growers and dealers alike have suffered heavy losses. Farmers had already invested large sums in fertilisers, pesticides, and chemicals, debts they hoped to clear after the harvest. If matters continue in the same direction, their livelihood will not only be imperilled, but they will also be unable to repay past debts incurred in cultivating their produce.
If agriculture and industry form the body and bones of a rural economy, then roads are its nerves. Once the nerves are blocked, the health of the entire body declines. This is the precise condition of Kashmir’s fruit industry, whose lifelines have been cut at the very moment of harvest. In a season of continuous and uncertain fruit drop, only swift road communication can carry produce to markets across the country. Instead, the poor upkeep of the national highway has created hurdles that block the movement of fruit dealers. The chaos is evident not only in local fruit mandis but also in orchards where fresh fruit rots in heaps.
Farmers have long been battling problems that range from poor produce, erratic weather, high fertiliser and pesticide costs, inadequate transport, and heavy carriage charges to the low purchasing power of buyers. Political and administrative factors, together with climatic change, are also often blamed for the collapse of the industry. To many farmers, however, the failure is seen as ill fate. They believe that in the pursuit of commercial gain, they abandoned century-old varieties of fruit, and that the loss of these traditions has brought a curse upon the industry. Experienced growers argue that neglecting indigenous varieties has created an imbalance in the environment, weakened pollination, and left even the newer species vulnerable to natural challenges.
In recent decades, growers have turned away from traditional fruit culture and concentrated on high-yield commercial varieties that offer quick returns. The climate and soil of Kashmir have always favoured a rich diversity of fruit, from apples, pears, walnuts, cherries, almonds, apricots, and grapes to many others. But over time, apple orchards have spread across the valley, replacing rice cultivation in many areas. Varieties such as Delicious, Kalu, Krimson, and recently introduced Italian apples have transformed rural economies. The rise of commercial farming has improved incomes and living standards in many villages. Horticultural research has further boosted production, encouraging farmers to adopt high-yield species.
Yet the shift has come at a cost. Traditional fruits, although less profitable in the short term, suited the valley’s environment and carried cultural significance. Reviving their cultivation on vacant lands could help restore ecological balance. Even if they command limited demand now, these fruits may regain a market over time.
The valley has a long record of fruit cultivation. Grapes, cherries, almonds, apricots, and apples have been grown for centuries, with many varieties exported to distant markets. Cherries are believed to have been introduced from Turkistan, with later imports during the Mughal period. Grapes are depicted on terracotta tiles from the second century, discovered at Dardkote in the Lidder valley, evidence of their deep roots in Kashmiri culture. Apricots and almonds, once cultivated on a large scale, were exported widely to Asia and Europe. Almonds became so integral to Kashmir’s identity that their motifs adorned textiles and metalwork.
But many of these orchards have vanished. Places once named after fruits, such as Dachigam and Baadam Bagh, bear little trace of them today. Farmers, lured by the profits of apples and pears, have steadily abandoned indigenous species. The decline of traditional cultivation has weakened the balance in the horticultural sector, and growers themselves admit that neglecting heritage fruits has contributed to the present crisis. Unless steps are taken to restore traditional varieties alongside commercial crops, the very foundation of Kashmir’s fruit culture will continue to erode.
(The writer is a senior archaeologist and author. Ideas are personal.)
