Agriculture

KEY POINTS

Issue

·        More and more farmers in Kashmir are switching from Paddy cultivation to High yielding varieties of apple imported from abroad.

·        For instance, M-9& M-106are the high yielding variety of apples’ imported by the J & K government from Europe.

·        The landscape of agricultural fields are swiftly changing, from swirling paddy fields to stout tree lines.

Merits

·        Easy to protect – Withthe introduction of M-9, hailstorms will no more be able to damage the trees.

·        Given the size and the support system of these dwarf trees (M-9), their farmers can easily use hail nets to shield their orchards.

·        Increased harvest season – Unlikethe traditional ones, whose harvest season are restricted to October and November, M-9 rootstock trees will stretch the harvest season by four months.

·        It allows farmers to steadily sell the produce in the market at higher rates, which was not possible with bulk harvests with only two months to sell all the produce.

·        More trees per hectare (High yield) – Unlike traditional apple trees, dwarf varieties are planted in a double row, with a gap of just two or three feet between the rows.

·        It is expected that it can increase the yield in the near future.

·        Stable quality – In traditional apple trees, the colour and sweetness of the fruit vary depending on exposure to sunlight and chemical treatment.

·        But, in M-9 and M-106 varieties, it remains uniform in colour and in taste, with the same quality maintained.

·        Less labour intensive compared to the traditional trees, whose higher foliage cover meant more expenditure on pruning, not to mention more manpower to sprinkle pesticides. 

·        Easier to maintain – The dwarf trees are also easier to maintain given their spread and height. It also creates new job opportunities.

Demerits

·        Dented paddy yield – Theland conversion from paddy to apple has dented the paddy yield, with growth in rice production tapering off in recent years.

·        Vanishing local varieties– Expertswarn that the fast-spreading European varieties may end the apple’s local flavour and colour for all times to come.

·        For instance, the famed Kashmiri varieties of Ambri and Delicious are vanishing from the market.

·        Impacting water management – The shift from the high water-intensity paddy crop to low water-intensity orchards is bound to impact the water management within Kashmir and, in the long run, impact the Indus Water Treaty of 1964 between India and Pakistan.

·        It is also likely to lead to more flooding in Srinagar and more water discharge into Pakistan.

·        Lowering ground water level – The water retained in the paddy fields recharges the groundwater too.

·        The shrinking paddy fields will result in less and less recharge, and thus lower groundwater levels in Kashmir in the future.

·        Increased chances of flooding – Many of the paddy lands located in the Jhelum floodplains acted as a temporary reservoir during the flooding, and slowly released the floodwaters to the river system.

·        But the hydrological (flooding) functionality of the paddy lands in the floodplains has been adversely affected due to the conversion of the land system in the Valley.

·        It has made the area and the people living in the floodplains more vulnerable to floods.