Srinagar: Walking through a dwindling orchard in Budgam, farmer Bashir Ahmad Bhat surveys the thinning rows of almond trees with a heavy heart.
“These trees have been in my family for generations,” he said, tracing his fingers along a barren branch. “But now, the market is flooded with California almonds. Buyers prefer them—they’re cheaper, more abundant. It’s hard to compete.”
Once a known almond grower in the area, Bhat has shifted to apple cultivation, which also didn’t benefit them.
“Almonds were weather-proof. We end up spending a huge sum on spraying and maintenance of the apple crop, and yet it doesn’t give us enough profit,” he said.
The once-thriving almond orchards of Kashmir are witnessing a steep decline, as California almonds flood Indian markets, posing a serious challenge to local growers.
Official data reveal a dramatic fall in almond cultivation in the region over the past decade. The area under almond orchards has shrunk from 16,374 hectares in 2006–07 to just 4,177 hectares in 2019–20. Meanwhile, production has nearly halved, dropping to 9,898 tonnes from 15,183 tonnes in the same period.
Farmers lamented the shift in market preferences. “Earlier, it was only Kashmiri almonds ruling the Indian market. When Californian almonds arrived, they invaded our markets. Californian almonds were bigger in size with cheaper in price. But ours was better in quality with ga ood percentage of oil,” said Majeed Ahmad Dar, another farmer from Pulwama..
Farmers said that more than 70 percent of the almond growers have abandoned this farming altogether, turning to apple cultivation
“The market trend has discouraged many of us from continuing almond cultivation. It feels like our traditional crop is being pushed out. So, we shifted to apple cultivation, which was thriving then. Even many in our village converted the agricultural land to commercial land by building shops and shopping complexes,” said Sajad Ahmad Khanday, another grower from Pulwama.
Meanwhile, the horticulture department said they are working to revive this cultivation by introducing the high-end varieties.
“We have some new varieties which can give a run chase to Californian almonds. Growers have also been motivated to grow almonds. In the coming years, we will again see a growth in production of almonds,” an official said.