Revitalize horticulture or risk losing land to development

Sajjad Lone, the chairman of the Peoples Conference and a legislator from Handwara, addressed the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly on Monday. He urged the government to modernise the region's horticulture sector and increase its budget allocation. Lone pointed out that the ₹ 10,000 crore horticulture industry in J&K currently receives only 1% of the budget, equating to around ₹ 700 crore. He believes this amount should be closer to ₹ 8,000 crore based on the industry's 8% contribution to the state's GDP. He stressed that investing more could significantly increase employment opportunities, as about 7.5 lakh families are involved in horticulture. He also spoke about the need to reassess agricultural land preservation. Lone argued that if farming is not profitable, farmers may be forced to sell their land for real estate developments. He shared his personal experience, highlighting that traditional farming yields low profits compared to modern techniques that can significantly increase income. Lone emphasized the importance of innovation in farming practices to protect the land from being converted for other uses. He noted the potential for higher yields with high-density farming but acknowledged that many farmers lack the funds to make this transition. He called for both government and corporate investment in the sector's modernization. Additionally, Lone addressed issues regarding imported apples and counterfeit pesticides, calling for stricter regulations to help local producers. He also highlighted delays in payments within the rural development department, stating that workers are suffering due to these financial irregularities. He urged the government to take action on these matters.