Horticulture deptt expands kiwi plantation in north Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 04: The Horticulture Department Kashmir is actively expanding kiwi plantation in North Kashmir and it has successfully cultivated them in five of its own nurseries, further promoting this crop.
Over the past decade, the department has dedicated its efforts to propagate kiwi plantations, and these endeavors have borne fruit, with numerous farmers successfully establishing their own orchards.
Joint Director Horticulture, Zahoor Ahmad said the Department of Horticulture has been expanding its horizons to grow kiwi plants in Baramulla and is planning to extend planting on some 20 more kanals of land in the coming year.
“We grow the kiwi plants in the horticulture nurseries at Khujabagh, Nowpora, Uri, Pattan, and Pattan Extension. Some 15 orchardists have set up orchards in Baramulla and people have also planted kiwi plants at scattered places,” he said.
The five government kiwi nurseries act as demonstration units where farmers are trained about the pros and cons of the plantation and how to improve the crop and fruit size.
“One of the major focus areas of the department is that the kiwi fruit should wait for the commercial purpose. We have been following different practices including thinning of fruit plants to gain weight,” he said.
The Joint Director also informed that under the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) the government has kept a provision under which the department would give kiwi orchards on subsidy rates to farmers just like apple, pear and walnut.
The department has been working to grow plants in the nurseries so that farmers have the plants available locally which would help in its further promotion and propagation. “It has been seen that in Uri the size of the fruit is good owing to good temperature,” he said.
“The fruit is harvested in November in Kashmir. Kiwi doesn’t require manure and pesticides. It needs a dry and moisture-free land. It also needs to have irrigation facilities,” he said.
Ahmad said on the other side, kiwi is used as a dry fruit adding that wherever the size of the fruit is small farmers can sell it as dry fruit which is also used on special occasions. The department has been conducting different informative programs for the farmers and encouraging them to plant kiwi plants.
Officials said the farmers who have planted kiwi have reaped good crops and more and more farmers have shown interest in growing kiwi.
Subject Matter Specialist, Department of Horticulture Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Bhat said that Kiwi production has good scope in Kashmir and it is grown, especially in north Kashmir.
“The department has established some Kiwi orchards in north Kashmir. Over the past several years, people are also taking interest in Kiwi plantation,” he said
Subject Matter Specialist said although the quality of Kiwi will not be the same as international market demands but it can attract a good local market in the valley.
“In coming years, the department will take some steps so that more land is identified and explored for Kiwi production across different areas in Kashmir,” he said.
Kiwi is a deciduous climber that resembles a grapevine. It needs a frost free growing period of 8-9 months. Kiwi needs a warm and humid climate. Annual rainfall of 150-200 cm is ideal for kiwi fruit cultivation.