Srinagar, March 06: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a 7.12% increase in total food crop production over the past year, rising from 19,515 to 20,904 thousand quintals, bringing the UT closer to self-reliance in vegetable production, which reached 520 thousand quintals in 2023-24.
As per the economic survey report 2024-25, the government has expanded crop insurance under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana to all 20 districts, benefiting 2.46 lakh farmers across 1.25 lakh hectares of land. Farmers have received claims worth ₹31.66 crore, excluding those for Rabi 2023-24. The PM-KISAN scheme has also disbursed ₹3,470.12 crore to 12.72 lakh farmers, offering them financial support.
The focus on organic farming and specialty crops has earned Jammu and Kashmir five new Geographical Indication (G.I.) tags for Sulai Honey, Bhaderwah Rajmash, Mushqbudji Rice, Udhampur Kaladi, and Ramban Anardana in 2023-24. Since 2019, the region has secured 24 patents for various products and processes.
The report also states that the government has also connected 17 mandis to the e-NAM platform, enabling 51,748 farmers and cooperatives to conduct transactions worth ₹450 crore since the scheme’s launch.
Mushroom and honey production have also seen remarkable progress. In 2023-24, farmers received 13.34 lakh pasteurized spawned compost bags, leading to a mushroom yield of 3,385 metric tonnes (MT). In 2024-25 (till November), an estimated 1,755.80 MT of mushrooms were produced.
Similarly, 1,770 MT of honey was produced in 2023-24, and by November 2024-25, another 1,711.90 MT of honey had been harvested, including high-value white honey (Solai produce).
The procurement of paddy through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has also increased, benefiting thousands of farmers. In 2023-24, 2.39 lakh quintals of paddy were procured, supporting 4,494 farmers with transactions worth ₹52.39 crore. By November 2024, this number had risen to 3.09 lakh quintals, covering 4,655 farmers with payments totaling ₹65.50 crore.
Looking ahead, the government is implementing the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan (HADP), which includes 29 projects with a budget of ₹5,013 crore over the next five years. This initiative is expected to add ₹28,000 crore to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and create 2.88 lakh jobs. It will also support the establishment of 19,000 new enterprises, benefiting 13 lakh families and providing skill training to 2.5 lakh youth.
Another major initiative, the J&K Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture & Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP), has been launched with a ₹1,800 crore budget for 2024. The project will be implemented over seven years across 90 blocks, reaching 15 lakh individuals and benefiting three lakh families.
