SRINAGAR: Bahadur Khan is on cloud 9. For the first time in the last few years, Kashmir walnut kernels are selling like hot cakes.
This is even though imported walnuts are giving tough competition to their Kashmiri cousins. Yet, the Kashmiri kernels have won round one. The rising demand and good prices were icing on the cake.
“A kilo of walnut kernel is fetching us Rs 300 to 1200. It is Rs 200 to 300 more than last year. Last year, prices were down. This year, there is a huge demand for Kashmiri walnuts. We have dispatched 400 truckloads of walnuts since August this year,” said Khan, who is the president of the Dry Fruit Association, Jammu and Kashmir.
What has brought cheers to farmers is the increasing orders from traders across the country. This is primarily because of the festive season. With Diwali just days away, Kashmiri walnut dealers are receiving huge orders from traders to meet the growing demand.
“We have received orders from different states. However, transportation is a problem. First of all, trucks are not easily available. If we get the trucks, they charge a bomb. This has hit our business hard. Otherwise, we have so many orders pending, and delivery is the biggest problem,” said Khan.
Dry fruit sellers say Diwali has always been a lucrative season, given the tradition among Hindus to gift walnut kernels and other fruits to friends and families. “Our products are once again in the limelight. Otherwise, a time had come when our growers and dealers were selling walnuts on the roadside as demand had fallen enormously. Particularly after COVID, the walnut and other dry fruit dealers suffered huge losses,” said a dry fruit dealer.
Official figures reveal that Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 92,438 hectares of land under dry fruit cultivation. This represents 26.8% of the total horticultural area in the region. The Kashmir Valley remains the dominant region for dry fruit production within J&K.
“This year’s production dropped 10 to 20 percent because of climate change. Dry spell, unseasonal rains, and other weather vagaries hit dry fruit production. Plus five percent GST is breaking our back,” said Khan.
A senior officer said modern farming techniques would help in increasing production. “The government has always been supportive of our farmers. We are doing our best to promote Brand Kashmir,” he said.