Problems and Prospects of Hill Agriculture in J &K

Agriculture in India holds the significant position in the economy, a way of life which permeates all sectors and spheres of life.

- = DR. BANARSI LAL

In India ,there is high concentrate of rural poor in low agricultural potential areas I.e. rainfed compared to high potential areas I.e. irrigated. Farming systems are facing immense difficulties owing to severe water shortage, changing climate patterns, dying traditional knowledge and increasing animal menace. Natural resources are under huge pressure with diminishing land and water resources. Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is endowed with diverse agroclimatic conditions, rich genetic diversity and vast natural resources that offer a great scope to develop agro-ecosystem by specific technological interventions for diversification of hill agriculture and allied activities. This hilly territory of India displays distinct ethnic, socio-cultural and economic features, geographical identity with climatic variability different from the rest of the country, Around 80 per cent of the people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihood.

Jammu and Kashmir is surrounded by the hills and comprises of its 20 districts. Over the years, the farmers of J&K have adopted new agricultural technologies but still this territory is having low productivity of almost all the crops. Due to diverse regional typologies, difficult terrains, marginality, fragility, extreme vulnerability to natural events, lack of infrastructures, distinctive gender dimensions, only 30 per cent of total geographical area in J&K is under cultivation, Agriculture contributes about 65 per cent of J&K revenue which explains its overdependence on agriculture.