BusinessPhoto: Mongabay IndiaKashmir Shifts from Paddy to Apples, Increasing Rice Dependence
Farmers in Kashmir's Kulgam district have replaced paddy fields with apple orchards over the past two decades, seeking higher income amid rising cultivation costs. While apples offer better returns, this shift has increased Kashmir Valley's reliance on external states for staple rice. Farmers like Nazir Ahmad and Nisar Ahmed have converted their farmland to high-density apple plantations, moving away from modest paddy earnings to more profitable horticulture.
Mongabay India··Kulgam



