Umar Raina
Ganderbal, May 26: Cherry harvesting is currently underway across Ganderbal, with farmers and orchard owners busy plucking the season’s first fruit from orchards spread across the district.
Known for its thriving horticulture sector, Ganderbal has steadily emerged as one of Kashmir’s leading cherry-producing districts, with thousands of families depending on the crop for their livelihood.
Apart from apple cultivation, grapes, Walnuts cherry farming has become a major contributor to the local economy in areas including Chunt Waliwar, Gulabpora, Lar, Gutlibagh, Wakura, Dab, Batwina and Kangan, Surfraw where vast orchards are currently witnessing peak harvesting activity.
According to official horticulture estimates for the 2024–25 season, Ganderbal produced nearly 9,094 metric tonnes of cherries from around 1,165 hectares of cultivated land, making the district one of the largest contributors to Kashmir’s overall cherry production. Reports suggest that the district contributes between 39 percent to 60 percent of the Valley’s total cherry output in some seasons, while nearly 5,000 farmers are directly associated with cherry cultivation and related activities.
Freshly harvested cherries are carefully sorted, packed into boxes and transported to different markets across Kashmir and outside states. Along the Srinagar-Leh highway, several temporary roadside stalls have also come up at Wussan where locals and tourists are purchasing fresh cherries directly from growers.
Farmers say the cherry season generates employment opportunities for hundreds of labourers involved in harvesting, grading, packaging and transportation, making horticulture one of the strongest economic sectors in the district.
However, growers have expressed concern over recent rainfall and hailstorms that affected orchards during the crucial harvesting period, causing damage to the fruit and reducing both quality and quantity.
A local orchard owner from Gutlibagh, Abdul Rashid Ahmad said Cherry is the first fruit of the season and farmers depend heavily on it for income. This year hailstorms damaged part of the crop, but we are still trying to ensure that good-quality fruit reaches the markets.”
Another grower, Ghulam Mohammad Dar, said we want Ganderbal cherries to reach bigger national and international markets. If proper government support, cold storage and transportation facilities are provided, growers can earn much better returns.”
Farmers have urged the Horticulture Department to organise awareness camps and modern training programmes to help orchard owners improve production techniques and protect crops from weather-related losses.
They also appealed for compensation and financial support for horticulture growers affected by hailstorms and unseasonal rainfall, stating that thousands of families in the district rely entirely on fruit cultivation for their livelihood.
Experts believe that with improved infrastructure, market connectivity and post-harvest support, Ganderbal’s cherries have the potential to strengthen Kashmir’s position in premium fruit markets across India and abroad.