Kulgam, Feb 23: The demand for converting traditional orchards to high and medium-density surges in south Kashmir’s Kulgam, with 1500 kanals already transformed into high-density orchards, boosting overall production and revenue in the district.
According to Nisar Ahmad, District Level SMS Officer of Horticulture in Kulgam, the demand has surged manifold this year, with the department receiving 200 applications so far for conversion into high-density orchards, totalling an area of 500 Kanals. However, he said that the district’s Horticulture department has the capacity to provide support for only 200 kanals this year.
“The production in high-density orchards, coupled with minimal space requirements for a large number of plants and optimal labour utilisation, along with awareness programmes under the Holistic Agricultural Development Programme (HADP), has prompted orchardists to shift gears towards converting to high-density orchards,” he said.
He said the high-density orchards, covering an average area of 20 Kanals, yielded between 30 to 40 metric tons, whereas traditional orchards of the same size produce just 12 metric tons. This significant disparity resulted in nearly three times more production and revenue for farmers adopting the high-density approach compared to traditional methods, he informed.
“What we have observed is that traditional orchards typically yield no more than 30 percent high-quality or high-grade apples. In contrast, high-density orchards boast around 90 percent high-quality production, significantly boosting earnings for orchardists compared to traditional orchards,” he said.
Nisar said the shift from traditional to high-density plantation serves two main purposes. “Firstly, traditional plants typically take 12 to 14 years to bear fruits, whereas high-density orchards accelerate this timeline significantly. Secondly, factors such as climate, late varieties of apples, and pollination issues hinder the quality and yield of fruit in traditional plants, which are typically larger in size,” he said.
Considering these factors, people began transitioning towards high-density orchards in 2016, although the adoption started later in Kulgam due to the topography, with maximum fruit-bearing areas located at higher elevations, the horticulture officer said.
“Last year, the demand for high-density apples surged significantly, resulting in substantial profits. This year, an additional 200 kanals will be covered in high-density plantations in Kulgam,” he said.
The government has enlisted companies to supply plantation materials, and through the department, orchardists will receive a 50 percent subsidy for establishing high-density orchards, the officer added.
