Srinagar, Jan 31: As Jammu and Kashmir heads into the crucial budget session, the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) has moved to the centre of policy debate, with industry bodies and stakeholders pitching for a mission-mode implementation to translate its ambitious design into tangible economic outcomes.
The renewed push comes as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is set to present his second budget in the Legislative Assembly on February 5, a fiscal exercise being closely watched for signals on policy continuity, reform priorities and flagship programme funding.
Envisioned as a structural reform of J&Kís agrarian economy, HADP is among the most comprehensive agriculture-led development initiatives launched in recent years.
With a total outlay of Rs 5013 crore, the programme integrates 29 interlinked projects spanning agriculture, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, and allied sectors.
It was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 7, 2024.
At its core, HADP seeks to shift farming in J&K from subsistence-level activity to a modern, market-oriented and enterprise-driven system.
The programme addresses long-standing challenges like low productivity, fragmented landholdings, weak market access, limited value addition, and heavy dependence on imports of food and agri-products.
The 29 projects under HADP include development of the seed and seed multiplication chain in PPP mode; promotion of niche crops, vegetables and exotic vegetables under open and protected cultivation; and strengthening of the agricultural marketing system.
Other components focus on medicinal and aromatic plants, apiculture, sericulture, nutri-cereals or millets, farm mechanisation and automation, mushroom cultivation and oilseeds.
Institutional strengthening is a key pillar of the programme, with provision for the formation of 300 Farmer-Producer Organisations and the adoption of Integrated Farming Systems and Integrated Livelihood Systems to diversify farm incomes.
Projects covering commercial floriculture, development of rain-fed areas and alternative agriculture systems, including organic farming, aim to improve sustainability and climate resilience.
Technology-driven interventions include sensor-based smart agriculture, minimisation of pesticide use, creation of a J&K Soil and Land Resource Information System and innovative approaches in agriculture extension and advisory services.
The programme also provides for the production of designer plants for high-density plantation and orchard rejuvenation, alongside a J&K-level food processing programme for cluster development to boost value addition.
Livestock and allied sectors are addressed through dairy development, reorienting priorities for self-sufficiency in mutton production, a roadmap for poultry development, technological interventions for fish seed and trout production, promotion of wool and pelt processing and marketing, and development of fodder resources.
The final component focuses on support to human resource development for technological backstopping and capacity building across sectors.
Official projections indicate that HADP has the potential to generate over 2.8 lakh jobs and facilitate nearly 19,000 agri-enterprises, significantly enhancing rural incomes.
Digital platforms have been rolled out for transparency and monitoring, with more than 3.7 lakh farmers registered and close to four lakh cases processed so far.
Outreach initiatives such as the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan have covered over 90 percent of panchayats, while skilling is being supported through the Daksh Kisan portal.
As budget discussions gather momentum, the Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has strongly advocated taking HADP forward in a mission mode, including the appointment of a full-time Mission Director with clearly defined authority and accountability. FCIK has raised the issue during pre-budget consultations with the Chief Minister and incorporated it in its submissions for the renewed industrial policy.
The FCIK has described HADP as a visionary intervention but cautioned that its success hinges on mission-driven leadership, predictable and ring-fenced budgetary support, timely fund releases and strong inter-departmental convergence.
From an industry perspective, it stressed that HADP is not merely an agriculture support scheme but a strategic economic transformation programme capable of turning farmers into agripreneurs.
Highlighting J&Kís continued dependence on imports of poultry, milk, livestock products, vegetables, seeds and processed agri-goods, industry representatives argued that effective implementation of HADP can progressively substitute imports, strengthen local supply chains and improve the regionís balance of trade.
They said that the programme lays the foundation for expanding agro-based manufacturing, food processing, cold storage, logistics, packaging and branding, creating strong linkages with MSMEs, and export-oriented units.
With the February 5 budget now in focus, stakeholders see it as a decisive opportunity to reinforce HADP as a flagship initiative.
A mission-mode approach, backed by assured funding and accountable leadership, is increasingly being viewed as critical to converting HADPís expansive vision into durable gains, positioning agriculture as a catalyst for rural industrialisation, enterprise creation and inclusive growth in Jammu and Kashmir.
