Context:

• Whenever Jammu and Kashmir is talked about, people quite often relate it to tourism.
• However, 70 percent of the region’s population is connected with agriculture directly or indirectly.
• Agriculture is the largest economic sector in India. A large number of the Indian population depends on agriculture in the country and it plays an important role in boosting the GDP.
• While Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh hold a large share of farming in north India, there are more regions in the Hindi belt whose economy depends mostly on agriculture. One such state is Jammu and Kashmir.
• Kashmir valley is rich in horticulture and sericulture which makes it the wealthiest part of the state.
• The state is the home to fruits, vegetables, and nut plantations.
• Due to the cold weather and good soil quality, it provides the best apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and grains like rice and barley.
• Kashmiri almonds are popular worldwide. Most of the home-grown crops, fruits, and vegetables are exported nationally and internationally.
• One of the most famous and expensive products of clothing, Pashmina is also manufactured in the state.
• Pashmina is used for making shawls and suits. It is light yet warm. The high-quality Pashmina ranges in thousand rupees for a metre in market. It is also exported across the borders.
• Jammu and Kashmir is also famous for its rugs and handicrafts. Looking at the large share of agriculture in the state, the government is planning to offer better returns to farmers to boost agriculture even more.
• The government is planning to expand the existing custom hiring sectors and farm machinery banks in the state.
• Jammu and Kashmir is also the largest producer of saffron in India.
• Last year, the Government of India introduced GI Tagging and new techniques of processing in the state to improve the quality of saffron and make it among the top ones in the world.
• For the same, a saffron park was also established.
• With the right investment and more initiatives, Kashmir can become the agricultural hub in the near future.