Sehreena Maqbool
Every spring, the orchards of Kashmir produce fruits and crops that are cherished across India and beyond. From crisp apples and succulent cherries to the world’s finest saffron, walnuts, almonds, and honey, the region possesses an agricultural legacy that few places can rival. However, despite consumers seeking authentic and premium products from Kashmir, youngsters in the Himalayan valley are slowly turning away from agriculture in search of opportunities elsewhere. There remains a critical question: how do we transform agriculture into a field of ambition, innovation, and global opportunity? Beyond connecting our farms with international markets, we must connect our growers with global consumers and inspire our youth with a vision of agriculture as modern, entrepreneurial, and internationally competitive.
Changing The Narrative: Earlier agriculture was often associated with uncertainty and modest returns. Today it is supported by technology, quality certification, branding, food processing, logistics and digital commerce. The process has changed entirely. Success is no longer measured only as quantity of the harvest but the value created throughout the supply chain. A premium carton of Kashmir produce displayed on a supermarket shelf in an international marketplace represents that. It embodies scientific cultivation, careful post-harvest management, world-class packaging, international quality standards and the confidence to compete on a global market. Agriculture today’s beyond farming, it is entrepreneurship with global reach.
Exports As A Catalyst for Rural Prosperity: Agricultural exports should be seen beyond mere creating opportunities. As it strengthens an entire ecosystem of growers along with Farmer Producer Organisations, packhouses, transporters, laboratories, logistics providers, exporters. Considering that horticulture is the backbone of Jammu & Kashmir’s economy. Exports represent not merely commercial success but sustainable rural transformation. For many years, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been steadily strengthening the agricultural export ecosystem by opening doors to global markets. APEDA has been ensuring that Indian agricultural products meet the highest international standards, it helps farmers from developing export infrastructure and quality assurance systems to promoting traceability, branding, buyer engagement and market access across the Gulf, Europe, Southeast Asia and beyond.
From Kashmir’s Orchards To The World’s Tables : Among other achievements, the export of premium Areko Cherries and Scentrose Plums from Shopian and Pulwama to Singapore by APEDA has been transformative. Building upon earlier promotional consignments to the United Arab Emirates, these exports demonstrate that Kashmir’s temperate fruits possess the quality, consistency and distinctiveness demanded by discerning international consumers. Supported by APEDA’s interventions in quality assurance, traceability, export facilitation and market development, these partnerships have strengthened international confidence in Jammu & Kashmir’s produce. Today, the region’s global footprint extends well beyond cherries and plums. GI-certified Kashmir Saffron is reaching Middle Eastern markets; premium apples and black carrots are finding buyers in Saudi Arabia; snow peas have entered the United Kingdom; and the celebrated GI-tagged Mushqbudji rice is being promoted in Japan. Alongside these, walnuts, almonds, Bhaderwah Rajmash, Sulai Honey and several other niche products continue to expand their presence in international markets.
“The future of Jammu & Kashmir’s agriculture will not be defined by one iconic crop, but by the extraordinary diversity that the world is only beginning to discover.”
Building An Export Ecosystem: Sustaining this momentum requires much more than market access. It demands world-class infrastructure. To strengthen these foundations, APEDA has supported the establishment of the Regional Cum Referral Quality Assessment (RCRQA) Laboratory at SKUAST-Kashmir, significantly enhancing the region’s capacity for internationally compliant testing and certification. Through export awareness programmes, buyer-seller meets, stakeholder consultations and capacity-building initiatives.
Beyond The Apple Economy : While apples will always remain the backbone of our horticultural economy, our future cannot rest on a single crop alone. Overdependence on apples limits our ability to fully realise the region’s potential. Kashmir can cultivate a remarkable range of premium products. The need is to embrace diversity and expand our export basket.
Reimagining Agriculture For The Next Generation: Young people should consider agriculture not as a profession inherited by circumstance, but as a sector driven by innovation and entrepreneurship. When a young entrepreneur witnesses locally grown cherries commanding premium prices in Singapore or saffron reaching discerning consumers across the Middle East, agriculture acquires a new identity. The future therefore belongs to agri-entrepreneurs and innovators who will redefine the sector for generations to come. APEDA is helping create an ecosystem where agriculture offers not merely livelihoods, but leadership, prosperity and purpose.
Future Ahead: Jammu & Kashmir possesses all the ingredients to emerge as one of India’s leading exporters of premium agricultural produce. The responsibility is to continue investing in building infrastructure. Our story of agricultural exports goes beyond yearly harvests. It will be defined by our vision for the future, innovation driven mindset and creating avenues for new opportunities. Because I strongly believe the future will be shaped not only in our orchards; it will be shaped by bright young minds who will believe that the world’s markets can begin in the fields of Jammu & Kashmir.
(The author is Regional Head, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Jammu & Kashmir. Press Information Bureau-PIB Srinagar has mailed this article to “Kashmir Horizon” for publication in this newspaper. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the authors and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
