Srinagar: Ghulam Nabi Bhat, an apple grower, has been incurring huge losses due to weather vagaries and rate fluctuations.
For the last three years, Bhat has been continuously pumping money with the hope of reaping a bumper harvest. However, every time he had to suffer losses
Come elections, he is hoping the new government will come to the rescue of the farming community.
“Agriculture is a big sector, which provides livelihood to a major section of the population. The government has to be serious about the sector, particularly the issues being confronted by the farmers. The farmers are duty bound to bring a robust government into existence, which uplifts the sector,” he said.
With elections all set to commence in Jammu and Kashmir, farmers are eagerly anticipating the new government’s policies as they seek crucial support to sustain their livelihoods.
Amid challenging years faced by the farmers, the agricultural community is calling for enhanced insurance coverage and a minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
“Crop insurance and MSP are the two important issues. The government has to essentially focus on these two issues to empower the farming community. We have been for years demanding crop insurance and MSP implementation but nothing has been done yet. A party has promised us the implementation of these two schemes and we have decided to support them,” said Mohammad Akbar Khan, a grower and a dealer.
Chairman, Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, Bashir Ahmad Bashir said the new government will have to cut down imports, tap international markets and reduce pesticide rates to promote the growth of the valley’s horticulture sector.
“We have been demanding crop insurance for many years. The government will have to enhance transportation facilities also. The government should also ban the import of apples from foreign countries, particularly from Iran and Turkey, which had a big blow to our industry,” he said.
