Kashmir’s Agri Turnaround

Recent GST reforms offer a rare window of relief and opportunity for Jammu and Kashmir’s farmers, if implemented with awareness and care.

- Dr. Waseem Ahmad

Agriculture still drives the economy and puts food on millions of tables in India. So even small changes in taxes can affect a lot of lives. The government’s latest GST reforms are one of those changes. For farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, they might bring a long-awaited relief.

By lowering GST rates on key agricultural goods and services, the government has lifted a heavy weight from the shoulders of small farmers. Fertilizers now attract just 5% tax instead of 12%, and machinery like tractors and threshers has become more affordable.

These changes mean more savings, higher productivity, and a better chance at survival for farmers who often operate on the edge.

For decades, agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir has been defined by hard terrain, harsh weather, and high costs.

Many farmers here work small patches of land where mechanisation has long felt out of reach. With lower taxes on equipment, that barrier begins to fall.