Apples of the Kashmir Valley fascinate fruit lovers and are widely popular the world over. They are sold in India and also exported to many other countries. The apple industry is an important part of Kashmir’s economy, and horticulture has emerged as a lucrative business in this state.
Among the different apple varieties grown in Kashmir, the red-fleshed apples are a relatively new variant that gained popularity soon after it was introduced. The first orchardist to grow red-fleshed apples in the Kashmir valley is Shahnawaz Khan. He comes from Pinjura village in the Shopian district of South Kashmir. He is the grandson of well-known orchardist Haider Khan who owns a 1000 kanal orchard and has introduced many apple varieties in Shopian. Continuing the legacy of his grandfather, Shahnawaz, who owns a 500 kanal orchard, is best-known for introducing the red-fleshed apples in Kashmir.
Red-fleshed apples are a genetically modified variety of apples and known by the name ‘red love’. Red love apples are a series of many cultivars that were grown by Markus Kobelt in Switzerland. The cross-pollination of red-fleshed apple plants with scab-resistant plants, gives the hybrid apple variety red love. Redlove Circe, Redlove Calypso, Redlove Odysso, and Redlove Era are some of the cultivars of red love apples.
They have an attractively red-coloured flesh, befitting their name. They are crispy, have an amazing taste, and a wonderful fragrance. Additionally, they have medicinal value, which has further increased their popularity. They are being cultivated Italy and Switzerland since 2010. Khan first saw red-fleshed apples in Himachal Pradesh and decided to introduce them to Kashmir.
In 2019, Shahnawaz Khan grafted the red-fleshed apple for the very first time. The first harvest gave very few apples, and they were slightly bitter to taste. Apples of the next harvest, however, were sweet. Khan discovered that red-fleshed apples have to be stored for two to three weeks after plucking, after which, they turn sweet.
This season, Khan has been able to grow two crates of red love apples. He aims for a better harvest next year. Orchardists in Kashmir do not experiment much and many still use the conventional methods for apple cultivation. However, red-fleshed apples have grabbed everyone’s interest. Thousands of people have visited Khan’s orchard out of curiosity about the red love apples. Last year, red love apples were sold at Rs. 1000 per kg. This year, they were sold for Rs. 500 per kg.
The popularity of red-fleshed apples is on the rise around the world. The efforts of Shahnawaz Khan can serve as an inspiration for other orchardists in Jammu and Kashmir to experiment with apple cultivation. This may lead to the introduction of newer varieties of this fruit and in effect, boost the horticulture industry in the Kashmir Valley.
