The New Apple Game

High-density apple farming is transforming lives in Kashmir, but without proper checks, the dream risks turning sour.

- Dr. Willayat Bashir

Something remarkable is unfolding in Kashmir's orchards. In a land where patience was once the price of survival, apple farmers are finally witnessing a shift that promises faster returns, better produce, and a real escape from decades of low profits.

This change is called high-density apple farming, and it is reshaping the economic future of the valley.

But like every new promise in Kashmir, this one comes with its own set of risks. And if we are not careful, the very thing lifting our farmers today could harm them tomorrow.

I have spent over a decade in apple farming, moving from the old world of traditional orchards to the faster, sharper world of high-density planting. I have lived both stories. I know what it feels like to wait more than ten years for a tree to bear fruit, only to find the apples small, pale, and difficult to sell.

Traditional apple trees in Kashmir are giants, stretching high into the sky, but they take far too long to produce anything meaningful. Many of us poured money into pesticides and sprays, only to walk away with shrinking profits.