Exotic vegetables cultivation turns profitable for Pulwama women

Pulwama, Feb 22 : A number of women from different areas of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have turned kitchen gardening into profitable economic activity with the cultivation of exotic vegetables.
Officials from agriculture production and farmers welfare department said that a number of women from different areas of Pulwama have been cultivating exotic vegetables for past couple of years after they were trained by the department in collaboration with JKNRLM- Jammu and Kashmir National Rural Livelihood Mission.
“The cultivation of exotic vegetables has changed their fortunate because they recorded more returns from the produce as compared to those earned from cultivation from traditional varieties,” Chief Agriculture Officer Pulwama, Mohammed Iqbal Khan, said.
He said that under kitchen gardening, a portion of land is put into vegetable farming.
“A piece of waste land or unused land can be turned into a kitchen garden,” he said, adding the grower doesn’t need to change his entire farm holding into vegetable cultivation.
“The activity has dual benefits, one the grower gets nutritious quality vegetables for his own consumption and second they sell the surplus in the market at competitive rates,” he said.
He said that the growers are provided free seeds, training and poly houses.
District Manager, JKNRLM Pulwama, Arshid Ahmad Bhat, said that 34 green houses and 2 hi-tech poly-houses have been established by the growers in Pulwama under which cultivation of exotic vegetables is being carried out.
Nazia Akhtar, a grower of exotic vegetables from Patipora village of Pulwama, said that she is cultivating hybrid varieties of Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Tomato and Brinjal under green house on a patch of land in the courtyard.
“Seedlings for four varieties of cabbage, one variety of Cauliflower and two varieties of collards are ready for sale in the market,” Nazia said, adding that she already recovered her invested cost by selling some quantity of the seedlings.
“ I hope to earn a decent profit from the sale of remaining seedlings,” she said, adding that kitchen garden is helping her to alleviate economic conditions of her family.
Mother of three minors, Nazia said that good returns prompted her family members including her mother in law to assist her in the new activity.
Razia Hameed, another grower from Tumlehall village of Pulwama, said that she turned to exotic vegetables after finding it profitable.
“Previously I used to grow traditional varieties in open conditions,” she said ,adding that she turned to hybrid varieties under protected condition after she was provided a poly house on subsidised rate through NRLM.