Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 13: Straw-berry cultivation is picking up in J&K thus yielding good fortunes and providing ample employment opportunities to youth.
Both Government of India and J&K Government are providing loans coupled with technical handholding to young farmers to attract them towards the farming business. The favourable climatic condition in the J&K has provided ample opportunities for the youth to take up strawberry farming as a business for better sustainability.
Farmers in Gassu Batpora village on the outskirts of Srinagar city are happy with the bumper crop of strawberries. Having the highest number of people growing strawberries, Gassu is famously known as the ‘Strawberry Village’ where farmers cultivate tonnes of exotic berries on hundreds of acres of land every year.
In recent years, strawberry has emerged as a cash crop in the valley with many vegetable farmers switching to strawberry cultivation. Besides strawberry, Kashmiri fruits like apple, cherry, grapes, apricot and plum are also very famous across the world for their quality and rich taste and are bringing good returns to the Valley’s farmers.
The Progressive farmer Dheeraj Kumar hailing from Haripur Village of Border Sub Division Hiranagar has cultivated strawberries on a field measuring 22 Kanal. With the handholding of the Department, he has cultivated three different varieties viz. Camarosa, Winter Dawn & Nubila.
Regarding the support extended by the Department, an official said that out of the total investment of Rs 6 lakh by the farmer, the Department has provided subsidy to the tune of Rs 2.86 lakh which is nearly 50% of the total investment and it is expected to produce a yield of Rs. 15-20 Lakhs which is in line with the PM’s vision of doubling the farmers’ income.
In addition to this, the Department has also provided the subsidy to the farmer on purchase of power tillers and installation of the drip irrigation system. Dheeraj Kumar has engaged around 10 people for levelling, picking, packaging and transport purposes, which he termed as a gratifying experience as offering the avenues of employment to the locals has given him great happiness.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel