High-Density Apple Farms:  A new era of Kashmiri orchards

In November 2016, Kashmir was in the grip of autumn with golden-yellow brittle leaves of apple trees and lofty chinars carpeting the ground. The recently harvested apple orchard of Abdul Majeed Wani, sprawling over vast swathes of land, had also begun shedding its leaves, adding beauty to the seasonal landscape. Wani was planning to prune his sturdy yet ageing apple trees before the first flakes of snowfall caress the ground in his native Hushanpora Nagbal village, some 13 kms from south Kashmir's Shopian district. 

However, a radio broadcast completely changed his mind, resulting in a radical transformation. A senior official from the Department of Horticulture aired his views during a radio talk show about the high-density apple orchards that hooked Wani's interest, spurring him to reconsider his traditional farming method.

Wani and his son Parvez Ahmad began preparing their farm to plant the high-density apple trees. 

“We were ridiculed by our fellow farmers in the neighbourhood as they saw us felling the huge apple trees," said Ahmad. 

The concept of high-density plant farming was then recently introduced. There was hardly any farmer in the entire apple-rich area of the district who had experimented with this kind of farming.

"We approached the officials and experts from the Department of Horticulture who offered us full guidance," said Ahmad. 

In the next two months, the father-son duo completed two crucial components--trellis and dripping system--of this rather new type of farming. 

Ahmad said that his orchard entered the fruit-bearing stage within two years, yielding a rich harvest. 

“It became the latest buzz, at least in our area following an abundant produce,” said Ahmad.

He said that the dividends were largely higher than those from conventional farming.

“For instance, one to two kanals of land would fetch me between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh through conventional farming, the high-density orchard of the same area generates the produce worth Rs 3 to Rs 4 lakh," Ahmad said. 

He said that the high-density system of farming had completely revolutionised apple cultivation by enhancing both productivity and profitability. 

"At least, the harvest is not sold for a song," Ahmad said. 

According to Ahmad, his annual turnover ranges between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and also provides employment to four to six persons round the year. 

The high-density apple farming involves planting a larger number of plants within a given unit of space.

“In common parlance, it means growing more plants in a smaller space. For instance, one kanal of land can accommodate 140-150 high-density apple trees, whereas conventional orchards can only fit 60-65 trees in the same area," said Ahmad. 

In 2015, the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed for the first time inaugurated a high-density apple farm set up by young Agri-entrepreneur Khurram Mir at Bamdoora village in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Sayeed had billed the initiative as “new hope”. Mir's  was  the Valley’s first-ever high-density apple farm, sprawling over 42 kanals with around seven Italian varieties.

The varieties and concerns 

The father-son duo cultivates a number of high-density varieties on the 30 kanal farm, mostly imported from Italy. The varieties include Super Chief, Red Velox, Red Galla, Scarlet Super II and Gala Redlum. These early and non-conventional varieties usually are sold at higher price due to their exceptional quality and market demand. 

“The ruby red color of these verities makes them highly sought after in both domestic and international markets," said Ahmad. 

He said that they received the plant material from the Department of Horticulture with a 50 percent subsidy. 

“Besides trellis and drip system, the plant material was the third component that the department helped me with," said Ahmad, while acknowledging the role of the Department of Horticulture from shifting to non-conventional farming. 

Initially, the Department of Horticulture sourced the high-density plant material from Italy, but later it implemented the scheme through private enterprises. However, many farmers in dozens of apple-producing villages of south Kashmir have expressed their concern that the plant material introduced new diseases. They claim that private suppliers did not adequately quarantine the material before distribution.

Modified high-density Scheme 

In March 2021, the government rolled out a modified high-density plantation scheme for apple, walnut, cherries, mango, litchi and olive in collaboration with National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED). The scheme shall remain effective for six years—from 2021 to 2026—and aims to cover an area of 5500 hectares in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme offers cultivators a 50% subsidy for establishing high-density orchards, along with a loan facility covering 40% of the remaining capital needed.

Under the scheme, each beneficiary can cover a minimum of 1 kanal and a maximum of 20 kanals of land. However, priority is to be given to orchardists who own less than 4 kanals of land.

Attracting more 

Ahmad, who is among the first few farmers taking to high-density apple farming, said that more and more farmers were turning to high-density farming, given its advantages in productivity and profitability. 

“In Zainpora sub-division, around 25 to 30 hectares are under high-density apple cultivation", he added. 

Junaid Sidiq, Business Head at HN Agriserve and Qul Fruit Wall—companies that offer support structure to aspiring high-density orchardists—told Greater Kashmir  that around 1500 to 2000 hectares had been converted into high-density apple orchards since 2014.

“We have provided the support structure including trellis, dripping system and planting material to 7,000 to 10,000 farmers so far," he added. 

According to Sidiq, many marginal farmers are reaping rich dividends by adopting high-density apple farming.