From Fields to Fortune: Kashmir Grows Rs 1,239 Cr Worth of Vegetables

Srinagar, Jul 28: Kashmir’s vegetable sector has registered unprecedented growth, with the total value of production touching Rs 1,239 crore in the year 2024–25—marking a steep rise from Rs 1,049 crore in 2023–24 and Rs 541 crore in 2022–23.

The figures reflect not only increasing output but also Kashmir’s emergence as a surplus vegetable-producing region, significantly reducing its dependence on outside supplies.

As per official data, the total vegetable requirement in Kashmir stood at 9.85 lakh metric tonnes (MT) in 2022–23, 10.21 lakh MT in 2023–24, and rose marginally to 10.52 lakh MT in 2024–25. However, against this demand, production consistently exceeded consumption, generating a rising surplus each year.

In 2022–23, the region produced a surplus of 2.7 lakh MT. This increased sharply to 5.24 lakh MT in 2023–24 and further to 6.17 lakh MT in 2024–25, indicating improved self-reliance and export potential.

Agriculture department officials attribute this growth to a mix of policy push, farmer awareness, and diversification in crop patterns. “Vegetable cultivation has seen remarkable expansion in both area and productivity. Introduction of high-yield varieties, polyhouse farming, and improved irrigation support have been crucial,” said a senior officer in the department.

Kashmir is now comfortably surplus in vegetable production. “We are not just meeting local demand; we are also supplying to other parts of the country. This trend shows that vegetable farming is becoming a strong pillar of Kashmir’s agrarian economy,” said an official.

He added that vegetables grown in Kashmir—such as haakh, collard greens, turnips, carrots, peas, and tomatoes—are gaining wider market access due to their quality and freshness. Districts like Pulwama, Budgam, Anantnag, Baramulla, and Shopian have emerged as major vegetable-growing belts.

Farmers, too, are upbeat about the shift. “Unlike paddy or maize, vegetables offer quicker returns and multiple harvests per year,” said Shabir Ahmad, a farmer from Budgam. “The demand from local mandis as well as from outside Kashmir has encouraged many of us to expand cultivation.”

The department has also promoted kitchen gardening and home-based vegetable production through community-level distribution of hybrid seeds and mini-irrigation kits.

Agricultural economists point out that this surplus can play a significant role in improving rural incomes and controlling inflation in perishable commodities. However, they also caution that the sector needs robust cold storage, transport, and processing infrastructure to minimise post-harvest losses and ensure farmers get remunerative prices.

The government has indicated that support for vegetable cultivation will continue through various centrally-sponsored schemes and state-level interventions.

With a growing surplus and rising production value, vegetable cultivation is fast turning into one of Kashmir’s agricultural success stories—providing hope and opportunity to thousands of farming families, and contributing steadily to the region’s economic resilience.