Heat wave wilts almond quality despite bumper harvest

Shopian, Aug 8: An unprecedented rise in temperatures has hit the quality of almonds in the almond-producing areas, even as farmers report higher production this season.

Hot weather conditions in June and July, with temperatures crossing 36 degrees Celsius in June, affected crops in almond-rich districts of Pulwama, Budgam, and Anantnag, growers said.

Farmers in these areas reported better yields but said the heat damaged kernel quality and altered ripening patterns.

“Due to the temperature rise, we had to harvest earlier as the heat preponed the ripening,” said Muhammad Altaf, an almond grower from Zadoora in Pulwama, known for producing premium almonds.

More than 200 villages in Pulwama and Budgam districts cultivate the fruit.

He said the harvest season usually begins after August 15, but this year it started in the first week of August.

Although the crop was near-bumper, an unusual rise in temperatures affected quality. “The kernels have turned black due to heat stress in some areas,” Altaf said.

Several farmers said the intense heat during the crucial growth stage damaged developing almond kernels in some areas, affecting their taste.

“A drop in quality could affect prices despite higher volumes,” Altaf said. Almond farming remains an important livelihood in parts of Kashmir, with the produce sold mainly in local markets and elsewhere in India.

But growers say the lack of a centralised market hurts their earnings.

“We lack a centralised market or mandi. It has been a long-standing demand of almond cultivators,” said Nazir Ahmad, a farmer from Budgam, who said that quality had not been affected much in his area.

Official data shows that the area under almond orchards fell from 16,374 hectares in 2006-07 to 4177 hectares in 2019-20.

Output dropped from 15,183 tonnes to 9898 tonnes over the same period.

Jammu and Kashmir still produces more than 90 percent of India’s almonds. “The government must come to the rescue of almond farmers by providing them with high-density plant material and developing a proper market chain,” Ahmad said.