Srinagar, Aug 4: High-density apple plantations are being promoted across Jammu and Kashmir, including North Kashmir, under the High-Density Plantation (HDP) Scheme of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) and the Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP), the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur in response to an unstarred question raised by Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, who sought details on orchard development, GI tagging, export promotion, cold storage infrastructure and high-density plantations in the constituency.
According to the Ministry, the programme promotes high-density apple cultivation through the supply of quality planting material, trellis systems, micro-irrigation, anti-hail nets, land development, plant protection measures and farm mechanisation. The objective is to ensure early fruiting, higher productivity and improved fruit quality to meet domestic and international market standards.
Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), financial assistance is available at 40 per cent in general areas and 50 per cent in Himalayan States and Union Territories for up to two hectares per beneficiary, covering planting material and other approved input costs. Assistance is also available for orchard rejuvenation and components such as fruit bagging, weed mats, fencing and anti-hail protection.
On exports, the Centre said the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has undertaken several initiatives to promote exports of apples, black carrots, GI-tagged Kashmir saffron, walnuts and almonds from Jammu and Kashmir to markets including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
APEDA has organised international buyer-seller meets and trade interactions in Srinagar and Jammu to connect exporters, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and overseas buyers. It has also supported the upgradation of the food testing laboratory at SKUAST-K to strengthen quality testing, traceability and certification. Applications for GI tags have also been submitted for Baramulla apples and walnuts.
On storage infrastructure, the Centre said five Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage units with a combined capacity of 18,500 metric tonnes have been established in Baramulla under MIDH. These include facilities operated by M/s Kachroo (3,500 MT), M/s Alpine Fresh Art (3,000 MT), M/s H.N. Agrichain Pvt. Ltd. (5,000 MT), M/s North Fresh Agro Cold Chain Pvt. Ltd. (5,000 MT) and M/s Nundreshi (2,000 MT).
The Ministry added that support is also being extended under the UT CAPEX Budget for establishing CA storage facilities in North Kashmir. Besides, 28 cold storage and cold-chain projects have been approved across Kashmir under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
APEDA has further extended financial assistance to an APEDA-registered exporter for establishing an integrated packhouse in Jammu and Kashmir, while the National Horticulture Board released a subsidy of Rs 422.82 lakh during 2023-24 for a 5,832-MT CA storage project in Baramulla.
Year-wise data showed that Baramulla constituency recorded steady expansion under the High-Density Plantation Programme, with the area covered increasing from 13.12 hectares in 2016-17 to 58.036 hectares in 2025-26.
Overall, the constituency has brought 244.646 hectares under high-density apple plantations, benefiting 599 growers under the programme. KNO
