Kashmir farmers trade paddy fields for apple orchards, raising food security concerns

Farmers across Kashmir are replacing food crops with high-density apple orchards to secure higher earnings amid rising costs. In Kulgam district, farmer Nazir Ahmad notes that land once filled with paddy is now covered in rows of apple saplings.

Financial Gains

While paddy offers modest returns, apples promise significantly higher earnings. Nisar Ahmed from Kulgam used to earn between ₹30,000 and ₹50,000 annually on his nine-kanal farmland. After converting the land into a high-density apple orchard, his family's annual earnings rose to between ₹4 lakhs and ₹5 lakhs. Fareed Ahmed Wagay, who converted six kanals of paddy land, also points out that hundreds of farmers are shifting to horticulture because paddy fails to fetch healthy returns. Sameena Lone, a researcher at SKUAST-K, explains that shrinking landholdings push farmers towards higher-value cash crops.

Land and Supply Shifts

Official figures show Jammu and Kashmir's paddy acreage fell to 258,840 hectares in 2024-2025 from 304,500 hectares in 2015-2016, a drop of 15 percent. Meanwhile, the area under apple grew to 173,073 hectares in 2024-2025 from 107,930 hectares in 2004-2005, a 60 percent increase. In Kulgam, apple areas are now more than double the paddy areas. Sartaj Ahmad Shah, Director Agriculture in Kashmir, states that the department does not track exact conversion numbers, but acknowledges that the region's dependence on outside rice supplies has grown. Professor Ashaq Hussain from SKUAST-K estimates that Jammu and Kashmir produces 50 to 55 percent of its own rice, while 45 to 50 percent comes from other states like Punjab through the Food Corporation of India.

Environmental Concerns

Experts warn that the transition carries ecological risks. Pir Rayees Ahmad from the Central Ground Water Board notes that paddy fields act as natural flood buffers and recharge shallow aquifers through standing water. Orchards require less standing water, which reduces groundwater recharge opportunities and flood storage capacity. Furthermore, a recent hailstorm in South Kashmir left growers like Mohd Shafi Wagay facing extensive crop damage, highlighting how narrowing cropping patterns expose farmers to severe weather and market shocks.

Context

Land-use changes in mountainous regions often follow broader economic shifts where traditional farming yields to more profitable commercial ventures. This agricultural transition reflects a wider trend seen in various parts of India, where small landholders pivot away from staple grains toward lucrative horticulture to combat rising cultivation expenses.