Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Feb 2: The Union Budget announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to extend support for high-value nut crops, including walnuts, has sparked fresh optimism in Jammu and Kashmir’s walnut sector, which sustains the livelihoods of nearly seven lakh people across the region.
The announcement has come as a much-needed morale booster for growers and traders, who have endured years of declining returns, outdated farming practices and stiff international competition.
Many said that while walnut prices were relatively better this season, the long-term future of the trade remained uncertain—until now.
“Rates were fine this year, but sustainability was always a concern,” said Bashir Ahmad Dar, a walnut trader from Kupwara. “This announcement gives us hope that better days are ahead, especially if modern cultivation methods are actually implemented on the ground.”
Jammu and Kashmir produces more than 90 per cent of India’s walnuts, spread across over 86,000 hectares. Despite this dominance, the sector has been under severe stress for the past decade due to ageing orchards, low productivity, lack of processing infrastructure and shrinking competitiveness in domestic and export markets.
Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie, a known walnut trader, said that the traditional cultivation methods had reached a dead end.
“In Kashmir walnut trees are huge and difficult to manage. Harvesting them is risky, and every year farmers suffer injuries while climbing,” he said.
“On top of that, the traditional varieties have very hard shells. During cracking, the kernel often gets damaged, which lowers the market value,” he added.
Local growers said, “This has allowed soft-shelled walnuts from countries like California and Chile to dominate Indian markets, pushing Kashmiri produce to the margins despite its superior taste.”
“The imported walnuts look uniform, crack easily and are better packaged. Buyers prefer them,” said Zahid Sabir a grower from Budgam. “We were losing our space even in our own country,” he added.
The Finance Minister’s emphasis on high-density plantations is being viewed as a potential turning point. Unlike traditional trees, high-density walnut plants are shorter, safer to harvest and offer higher, more uniform yields—qualities essential for competing globally.
“This is a very positive step,” he said. “High-density cultivation will modernise our orchards and help us match international standards. It can revive the entire walnut economy of Kashmir.”
The decline of the sector has also been linked to poor infrastructure and outdated processing facilities. Several walnut processing units have shut down in recent years due to lack of modern machinery and proper packaging, plunging thousands of farming families into economic distress.
“Many of us survived only because walnut prices improved slightly this year,” said Waqar Ahmad, a trader from Shopian. “But without reforms, one good season is not enough. We need structural support.”
According to data from the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Jammu and Kashmir accounts for the largest share of walnut cultivation and production in India. Other producing states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh together contribute only 3 to 6 per cent of the country’s total walnut output, estimated at around three lakh metric tonnes in 2024.
Export figures show that over 2,134 metric tonnes of walnuts, valued at approximately 7.8 million dollars, were shipped from India to countries including the UAE, Turkey, Iraq, Singapore, Algeria, Qatar, Bhutan, Kuwait, Seychelles and Nigeria.
For growers who say they have been “fighting for survival” for years, the budget announcement has rekindled confidence.
“If the policy is implemented honestly, our future will be secure,” said a grower from south Kashmir. “For the first time in years, we feel the hard shell around our problems may finally be cracking.”
