Growers distressed over less returns
SRINAGAR, SEP 11: Even though Kashmir’s walnut has a high yield, it is battling to survive because of the importation of walnuts into Indian cities, which has reduced the value of Kashmir’s local walnut output and cast a shadow over it.
Due to the significant exports of dry fruits from the USA, China, Iran, and Chile, Kashmiri walnuts, formerly renowned for their outstanding flavour and quality, are today in short supply on the domestic market.
Since no artificial fertilisers are utilised throughout the growing process, Kashmiri walnuts are organic. Because of growing import competition, Kashmir walnut farmers in the Valley have been pushing for a Geographical Indications (GI) label for their product.
The farmers claim that despite the higher quality of Kashmiri walnuts, there hasn’t been much of a market for them in the nation over the last several years because of the large number of walnuts that have been imported from abroad.
“The rates of Kashmiri walnut kernels have decreased by approximately 50% this season,” according to Haji Bahadur Khan, president of the Kashmir Walnut Growers Association.
According to him, the price of a kilogramme of high-quality walnut kernel, which once sold for Rs 1200, has dropped to Rs 700.
For years, he continued, “We have been telling the authorities this, but there hasn’t been a practical solution. Walnuts, like apples, are a significant component of Kashmir’s horticultural industry, and we demand that the government take immediate action and pay attention.”
Due to the steadily declining market, several traders have ceased selling Kashmir walnuts.
India ranks tenth in terms of the world’s output of walnuts.
More than 89,000 hectares of land are used exclusively for walnut production in Kashmir.
In 2021–2022, India produced 2.82 lakh tonnes of walnuts, with over 92 percent of the crop coming from J&K, according to official figures.
The Anantnag area in south Kashmir and the Kupwara region in north Kashmir are home to the top Kashmiri walnut farmers.
Walnut production in the Kashmir area ranged from 190,451 MT in 2017–18 to 198,431 MT in 2018, 180,973 MT in 2019, 177,070 MT in 2020–21, and 182,659 MT in 2021–2022.
Walnut farming has steadily shrunk from 47,004 hectares in 2017–18 to 46,118 hectares in 2018–19, 46,175 hectares in 2019–2020 to 46,134 hectares in 2020–21, and 46,197 hectares in 2021–2022.
