Kashmir orchard owners set for rich dividends on bumper apple crop

Srinagar, Aug 2 : Orchard owners in Kashmir are looking forward to huge profits as they are expecting a bumper apple harvest this year.

Going by the bumper produce of the early varieties of apples, the orchard owners are ecstatic as they hope to reap rich dividend this season.

Good rainfall coupled with moderate temperatures and timely uses of pesticides have all combined to yield a good apple crop this year.

"This year the crop is good. Rainfall was good, the temperatures were also quite right, all in all the season was good for the crop. The Horticulture Department also kept on guiding us on the usage of pesticides and so we have a good crop this year as a result. We are hopeful of getting good money for our crops,' said Bashir Ahmed, an orchard owner.

Horticulture Department estimates apple production in the state to cross 1.2 million tonnes mark. It is also helping the apple growers in setting up new markets so that it becomes easy for them to sell their produce. It has also introduced some new exotic varieties of the fruit, which yield good results.

"The estimate of this years' apple production is set to cross 1.2 million metric tonnes. We have also established some new markets in addition to the old ones so that the growers can sell their crops with ease," said Khursheed Ahmed Qasba, Director, Horticulture.

Kashmiri apples are known world over for their superb flavour.

Kashmir is known, as the "Apple Bowl of India". It is the major apple-producing region of the country. It is the mainstay of the local economy with hundreds of rural people eking out their livelihood from this industry.

ANI