SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector supports the livelihoods of nearly 35 lakh people and contributes around 10 per cent to the Union Territory’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Agriculture Production Minister Javid Ahmad Dar informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Dar was responding to a clubbed question raised by MLAs Pirzada Farooq Ahmed Shah, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Mir and Irfan Hafiz Lone, along with a supplementary question by MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay.
The minister said around 35 lakh people, comprising nearly 7.5 lakh families, are directly or indirectly associated with horticulture in J&K. The sector generates an estimated annual income of around Rs 12,000 crore, he said.
“Horticulture has considerable employment potential, with one hectare of orchard area generating approximately 400 man-days of employment annually,” Dar said, underlining its contribution to rural livelihoods and the wider economy.
On crop insurance, the minister said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is currently being implemented across all 20 districts of J&K.
He said the scheme is demand-driven and there is no cap on the number of farmers who can avail its benefits, subject to prescribed eligibility criteria and guidelines. Around 13.985 lakh farmer families in the UT are eligible under the scheme, he said.
According to the data placed before the House, 6,86,741.37 hectares have been covered under PMFBY, benefiting 12,89,917 farmers. A total of 3,72,134 claims have been registered, involving around Rs 221.71 crore.
Dar acknowledged that farmers and orchardists in several areas have suffered losses due to natural calamities, including hailstorms, floods and heavy rains.
He said the department assesses crop losses through its field functionaries and provides assistance and relief wherever admissible under applicable schemes and guidelines.
The minister said PMFBY provides insurance coverage against notified natural risks, including hailstorms, for notified crops. The basic cover provides area-based insurance against yield losses in standing crops from sowing to harvesting due to non-preventable risks such as drought, floods, inundation, pest and disease attacks, landslides, storms, hailstorms and cyclones, subject to notified crops, areas and applicable guidelines.
On pending claims, Dar said the major reasons for genuine claims remaining unsettled include Aadhaar non-verification, closure of bank accounts, non-seeding of Aadhaar with the NPCI mapper and blocked or frozen bank accounts.
He said the government has launched a special campaign to resolve failed payment transactions and facilitate settlement of eligible pending claims.
“Approximately 60 per cent of the affected farmers have already been contacted, and the requisite documents are being collected from them on a daily basis for verification and further necessary action,” he said.
Dar assured the House that efforts were being made to resolve genuine difficulties faced by farmers and ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits under the scheme.
On transportation of horticultural produce during the peak fruit season, Dar said the government had strengthened traffic and logistics management through coordinated measures to ensure smooth movement of fruit and other horticultural produce.
He said a dedicated control room has been established at Qazigund for real-time traffic monitoring, coordination with concerned agencies and dissemination of advisories to growers, traders and transporters.
The Mughal Road is also being used as an alternative route wherever feasible to ease congestion and reduce pressure on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, he said.
The minister said railway parcel, goods and freight services from Anantnag and Budgam to Delhi had also been facilitated and promoted for transporting horticultural produce.
He said the measures were aimed at diversifying the transportation network, reducing dependence on the NH-44 and minimising the possibility of fruit-laden vehicles remaining stranded during the peak harvest season.
Dar also said farmers were benefiting from various projects under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), with subsidies of more than 60 per cent available for eligible projects.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting farmers and orchardists, strengthening crop insurance mechanisms, expediting settlement of genuine claims and improving transportation, logistics and market connectivity for horticultural produce across J&K.
