Budgam: Among the entire dry fruit varieties of Kashmir the almond harvesting season is on its peak and farmers are hopeful of earning a good return.
Soon after the outer shell of almond turns hard farmers begin to harvest the crop.
Kashmir holds the distinct name in its almond production, while Pulwama and Budgam are rich in its production.
According to farmers for several years a huge reduction in the almond production had created problems for them but improvement in weather conditions has revitalized the ‘lost hopes among farmers’. They claim that 2018 season is the ‘only season when their orchards have sufficient crop as compared to last five years’.
“Hopes are high as this year’s production has come as a blessing,” Altaf Ahmad an orchardist said.
Farmers had been changing their crop from almond to other varieties due to low yield. “Our land was occupied in vain and it was better to shift to other fruits so to get good produce,” Mohammad Amin, an orchardist said.
He said that there are almond orchards and ‘if crop production comes down and doesn’t yield you produce like this year, more orchards will go’.
“If you have a year like this one then obviously we will retain Almonds,” he confided.
