Walnut harvest underway in Kashmir amid weak demand

Pulwama, Sep 1: As walnut harvesting is underway, farmers are facing weak demand and declining prices, raising concerns about the future of the crop in Kashmir.

Fayaz Ahmad Dar has been tending walnut trees for the last two decades in his village of Rahmoo in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Once considered a reliable crop requiring little care, walnuts are now bringing him more worry than income.

“People are hardly showing interest in growing walnut trees as the demand for Kashmiri walnuts has declined,” said Dar. He said that growers have not seen any rise in prices over the last few years.

“Last year I sold my produce at dirt cheap prices. This year the prices are also low,” he said.

The walnut industry, responsible for nearly 95 percent of India’s total production, is beset with significant challenges. Official data show that of India’s 108,000 hectares dedicated to walnut cultivation, 89,000 hectares are in Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, of the country’s total walnut output of 299,000 tonnes, 275,000 tonnes come from the J&K region.

“Earlier, a farmer with 20 to 30 trees could sustain his family. Now the same farmer struggles to make ends meet,” said Dar.

The sector is facing multiple hurdles, including falling prices, the impact of GST, and competition from imports from countries such as California, Chile, and China.

“Imposition of 5 percent GST on walnuts has put an additional strain on the beleaguered industry,” said Abdul Majeed, a local walnut trader.

Traders and growers say imported nuts, prized for their uniform size, lighter shells make it harder for local producers to compete.

However, growers insist that Kashmiri walnuts are far superior due to being purely organic. “We never use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Our walnuts are completely organic, which makes them far superior in taste and quality compared with imported nuts,” said Tariq Ahmad, a grower from Anantnag district.

He added that imported walnuts, such as those from China, often use chemicals to boost production.

Anantnag is the top walnut-producing district in Jammu and Kashmir, yielding 9,915 metric tonnes, followed by Kupwara with 8,824 tonnes and Ganderbal with 5,454 tonnes. Other districts contribute smaller but notable quantities.

With declining local demand and rising imports, farmers and traders alike say urgent policy support, including better marketing, incentives, and protection from cheap imports, is needed to sustain the industry.