The climate and soil of Jammu and Kashmir is conducive for the cultivation of a large number of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and food crops. It is best known for the cultivation of saffron and apples but relatively lesser known are some other fruits and vegetables that grow here and play a major role in the agriculture and horticulture sectors of J&K.
Apples, almonds, and cherries grow in the temperate regions of Jammu and Kashmir, while mango, litchi, papaya, guava and citrus fruits are cultivated in the subtropical areas. Here we will look at the list of temperate fruits of Jammu and Kashmir, but before that let’s get to know what temperate fruits mean.
Fruits that grow in regions on the middle latitudes are called temperate fruits. They require cold climate and possess different degrees of winter hardiness. These types of fruits are subclassified as tree fruits, vine fruits and small fruits. Examples of tree fruits include apple, pear, and peach. Vine fruits include grape and kiwifruit. Examples of small fruits include strawberry and raspberry, where the term small refers to the size of the fruit and not of the plant. This classification is based on the growth habitat of fruits. Tree fruits include pome fruits and stone fruits, where pome fruits are fleshy while stone fruits are fleshy with a stony pit. Among the several fruits that are classified as temperate, a few are cultivated on a large scale in Jammu and Kashmir. Here is a list of the temperate fruits grown in Jammu and Kashmir.
Apples: Apples of Kashmir are famous in the international market and exported in large numbers across the globe. There are over 100 varieties of apples grown in this region, some of the famous ones being Ambri, Gala Red, and Jeromine. Apples are mainly cultivated in the northern and southern parts of the Kashmir Valley, which includes districts such as Shopian, Anantnag, and Sopore.
Almonds: Mainly cultivated in Budgam and Pulwama districts, the almonds from Kashmir are smaller than their Californian counterparts, but more rich in oil and sweeter due to the moderate climate in Kashmir.
Walnuts: Around 2.66 lac metric tons of almond are cultivated on 89 hectares of land in Jammu and Kashmir. This accounts for around 98% of all walnuts cultivated in India. They are primarily grown in the Kupwara, Shopian, and Anantnag districts of Kashmir and are world-famous for their quality and taste. The three walnut varieties cultivated in Kashmir are Wonth, Kagazi, and Burzul.
Pears: This temperate fruit is cultivated mainly in the Uri and Budgam regions of J&K. The pear varieties grown in Kashmir include Babugosha and Naakh, wherein Babugosha accounts for about 90% of the total pear cultivation. 6311 hectares of land in Kashmir is under the cultivation of pears. Since the shelf-life of this fruit is shorter, as compared to that of apples, the sale of Kashmiri pears is difficult.
Cherries: Over 95% of the total cultivation of cherries in India, is from Jammu and Kashmir. The cherry varieties grown here include Double, Makhmali, Mishri, and Italy. About 15,000 metric tonnes of cherries are grown in Kashmir every year, mainly in the Tangmarg and Lar regions and in some parts of Srinagar, Baramulla, and Shopian.
Apricots: Apricots are grown in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir, but majorly in Kargil, Leh, and the Takmachik and Lehdo regions in Ladakh.
These temperate fruits of Jammu and Kashmir are an important part of the horticulture industry in this region, which forms the backbone of the economy of Jammu & Kashmir.
