SRINAGAR: The Union Budget 2026–27 has proposed a national programme for high-value nut crops, including almonds, walnuts and pine nuts, with a focus on hilly regions, which is expected to benefit Jammu and Kashmir’s orchard-based economy.
PHOTO BY BILAL BAHADUR
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Budget in Parliament, said the government aims to promote high-value agriculture as part of its strategy to enhance farm incomes and diversify crop production. The Budget specifically identifies almonds, walnuts and pine nuts for targeted interventions in hilly areas, where these crops have a natural comparative advantage.
The proposed programme will focus on the rejuvenation of old and low-yielding orchards and expand high-density cultivation of almonds, walnuts and pine nuts to improve per-hectare yields using better planting material and modern orchard management practices.
Sitharaman added that the programme will also cover value addition and post-harvest management to increase farmers’ realisations from nut crops. The initiative aims to engage rural youth in orchard development, promoting employment and entrepreneurship in agriculture-linked activities in mountainous regions.
The announcement is part of the government’s broader push to shift Indian agriculture toward high-value and export-oriented crops. While the Budget does not specify a separate financial allocation or physical targets for the nut crop programme, almonds, walnuts and pine nuts are among the few crops explicitly named under the high-value agriculture component.
Jammu and Kashmir, where almonds and walnuts form a significant share of horticultural output and rural livelihoods, is expected to benefit substantially once the programme is implemented by the concerned ministries.
