‘Black Amber’: Dark delight lucrative for farmers

Pulwama, July 21: Farmers across Kashmir have been turning to Black Amber, a dark-skinned, sweet-flavoured variety of plum, drawn by its market potential and promising shelf life.Introduced in recent years, this plum cultivar has been trialed by several farmers, including Abdul Hameed from Laribal village in Pulwama.“It’s a high-quality plum with better yield than the commonly grown Centrose,” Hameed said, adding that its longer shelf life makes it ideal for storage and transport. “Unlike Centrose, which is highly perishable and must be sold immediately after harvest, Black Amber can be stored at home for several days,” he added. Black Amber, widely cultivated in Himachal Pradesh—where it is dubbed the King of Plums—is gradually making its mark in Kashmir’s orchards.Fayaz Ahmad, another farmer from Laribal village, said that many cultivators have adopted it over the past few years. “It matures later than Centrose, helping in market regulation,” he said, noting that its price last year surpassed Centrose per kilogram.Developed in 1980 by American horticulturist John H. Weinberger through crossbreeding ‘Friar’ and ‘Queen Rosa’ varieties, Black Amber thrives in temperate climates and is grown in North America, Europe, and Australia. Its cultivation requires well-drained soil and ample sunlight, conditions well-matched by Kashmir’s geography. In Kashmir, varieties like Centrose, Silver, and Chogandhra dominate plum cultivation, with Centrose being the most commercially significant.However, the demand for newer, high-value cultivars is growing. Some farmers are now grafting Black Amber onto existing Centrose plants to switch over efficiently.Black Amber’s compatibility with hail net farming makes it a resilient option in regions prone to unpredictable weather, offering protection to fruits during storms.Experts believe that combining early-maturing Centrose with late-maturing Black Amber could help stabilize the market and maximize income for growers.