Kashmiri Farmers Boost Income by Cultivating High Density Lemon & Strawberry Using Govt Schemes

Farmers in Marore village in Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, India have enhanced their income by cultivating high-density lemon and strawberry farming through government schemes. 

With the help of these schemes, farmers have adopted modern and advanced techniques in agriculture, making the most of their land and other resources to increase their income.

One such farmer conveyed that he has been cultivating traditional crops like maize, wheat, pulses, vegetables, and others for the last 45 years, but did not earn much profit. Three years ago, he switched to organic lemon and strawberry farming alongside traditional crops and earned good profits this year. He and other farmers in the area have benefited from the Government of India Scheme implemented by the Horticulture Department. He also used to plant strawberries, but this was the first time they had planted lemons, and it was good. The variety of lemons was also good. He added that he is picking 10-12 quintals (100 Kg) of lemon to date and expects more profit this year. 

Chief Horticulture Officer, Udhampur, Rajinder Kumar Lochan informed that they brought a scheme last year which increased the plantation of lemon to around 350 hectares in 2022. This year they have covered around 210-hectare areas in the rainy season and spring season. Under this scheme, those farmers who have more than 1 kanal of land on the high-density mode are getting their plantation done. The main objective is to plant 400 per hectare of fruits in sub-tropical areas like lemon, and sweet lime (mosami).

Lochan said that the objective is to double the income of farmers, and for that, they have to work on inter-cropping and other interventions. They are trying to work with all their allied departments to make it possible and successful. Through the implementation of the schemes, the government is trying to provide farmers with the necessary support to help them transition from traditional farming practices to modern techniques, making their farming activities more efficient and sustainable.

Farmers in the area have taken advantage of the opportunity provided by the government and are now earning more income, which has helped them to improve their standard of living. This is a great initiative taken by the government of India to help farmers improve their economic status and achieve financial stability. It is also helping to increase the country's overall agricultural production, which is a significant contributor to the Indian economy.