‘Kashmir's Shift To Horticulture Increases Rice Dependence On Other States’

Experts have raised serious concerns over the increasing trend of converting agricultural land to horticulture in Kashmir, warning that the region is becoming dangerously dependent on other states for its staple food—rice.

- Agencies

An officer of the Agriculture Department said that Kashmir is already around 30-40% food-deficient, but the ongoing trend of conversion over the past five to six years has made the region even more reliant on other states.

He said thousands of hectares of paddy land in Kashmir have been turned into orchards, mostly for apple cultivation. While this shift has brought economic gains to some farmers, it has drastically reduced local rice production.

“Kashmir was once self-sufficient in rice production, but the rapid land-use conversion is now threatening food security. If this trend continues, Kashmir will be 100 percent dependent on other states for rice in the next few years,” he added.