Tasaduq Hussain
Handwara, Jul 6: An educationist by profession, Sajad Ahmad has successfully managed to cultivate wheat crops in north Kashmir’s Handwara as the crop was never grown in the northern belt till yet. Through this initiative, he has set an example for farmers to start a journey of sowing the crop during winter instead of keeping the agricultural land idle for that period.
Sajad said it was for the first time that the wheat crop has been cultivated in Handwara, which has shown encouraging results as well. He cultivated wheat on his 4 kanals of land last year.
The agricultural land in Kashmir would usually remain uncultivated in winter, but in the Magam area of Handwara in the Kupwara district, Sajad parted from tradition. He sowed the second crop of wheat seeds during the autumn season in Kupwara, which is usually known for the production of walnuts and paddy. “Nobody suggested or helped me in the process as it was a self-generated thought to give wheat seeds a try and see the results,” he said.
“Initially, I struggled to find the seeds in the market. I was not even able to find the wheat seeds at the beginning. However, I managed to find them after immense challenges,” the educationist said. “I was criticized for my self-generated thought. I was discouraged by everyone. No one initially realised how important it is in our daily needs. Even these days, we are facing a shortage of flour from stores across the region due to supply chain issues.”
“Now with the harvest this month, everyone was stunned to see my success,” Sajad said. “Now, all of them are praising me for the self-generated thought.”
He said it was just a beginning without any proficiency. “No pesticides, chemicals or any other medical things were used in the process. It doesn’t require anything special,” he explained. “Every field used for agricultural purposes can be used for wheat production. The season begins immediately after the paddy harvest. It is good for dry lands and doesn’t require much water.”
Sajad also said that if the wheat seeds are sown early after the harvest, it won’t delay the work of paddy transplantation next year.
