Why Grapes Aren't Sour For Kashmir

Apples dominate Kashmir’s orchards, but overdependence makes the valley vulnerable. Grapes from Ganderbal show why diversification is now an economic necessity.

- Uzma Qadir Mir

Every green orchard in Kashmir tells a story of families, livelihoods, and an economy rooted in the soil. Beyond a scenic backdrop, these fruit gardens are the heartbeat of rural life.

Horticulture alone contributes nearly 9 percent to Jammu and Kashmir’s Gross Domestic State Product, making each tree, each harvest, a vital thread in the lives of thousands of households who depend on them for survival.

Unlike mining, construction, or even tourism, horticulture brings money earned in national and international markets back into villages, where few other sources of livelihood exist. It has long acted as a stabilizer of incomes, a generator of employment, and an engine of trade that reaches far beyond the valley.

Over the past two decades, Kashmir’s orchards have undergone a silent transformation. What once was a subsistence-driven system, with smallholders cultivating as their parents had done, has become more market-aware, infrastructure-enabled, and ambitious.

This change is visible in mandis, where apples stored in controlled-atmosphere facilities are now sold months after harvest, and in villages where high-density plantation technology has replaced aging orchards.

The impact is clear in the branding of saffron and Mushqbudji rice, which have earned global recognition through geographical indication protection, or in tulip and cherry festivals that now bring tourists directly into the world of farming.

Apples remain the star. They dominate acreage, employ hundreds of thousands in harvesting, grading, and transport, and fill markets across India every autumn. Walnuts, almonds, pears, cherries, apricots, and saffron add variety, while Mushqbudji rice and floriculture add cultural pride and prestige.