Pulwama, June 08: Pulwama district of south Kashmir has seen a notable increase in oil seed production over the past two years, thanks to the National Mission for Edible Oil( NMOE).
Authorities revealed that this initiative has led to a remarkable transformation in the district’s agricultural landscape.
According to the Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Department of Kashmir, the area dedicated to oil seed cultivation has expanded by approximately 6,600 hectares, a milestone they regard as a substantial accomplishment.
Mohammad Iqbal Khan, Chief Agriculture Officer of Pulwama, said that oilseed farming had been largely abandoned by local farmers.
However, over the last two years, there has been a concerted effort to revive this practice, spurred by the national mission.
“Two years ago, only 12,000 hectares of land were being used for oil seed cultivation in Pulwama. Today, we have around 18,600 hectares under cultivation,” Khan said.
He also noted a significant improvement in per Kanal production, which has increased by approximately 20 to 25 kilograms.
He said that previously, traditional varieties yielded about 60 kilograms of oil seed per Kanal.
“With the introduction of high-yield varieties like Shalimar Sarsoon 2 (SS2), productivity has surged to around 85 kilograms per Kanal,” he said.
Khan revealed that Pulwama has now achieved self-sufficiency in oil seed production, marking a significant milestone for the district.
He revealed that under the National Mission on Edible Oils, farmers have been provided with high-quality seeds, either free of charge or at subsidized rates.
He added that farmers have received technical support to enhance oil seed cultivation.
Looking ahead, the Chief Agriculture Officer expressed optimism about further increasing the area under oil seed cultivation.
According to an unofficial estimate the annual production of oil seed in Pulwama is around 30600 MT valued at around rupees 1.836 crore.
