People were converting farmland, including valuable orchard land, for construction of houses, shopping complexes and commercial establishments
As farmers in the Valley shift towards high-density plantations to raise both production and income, apple orchards are increasingly coming under pressure from construction and commercial development.The conversion has raised concerns over the future of the Valley’s robust horticulture sector, which contributes about 7 per cent to Jammu and Kashmir’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and remains a key source of income and employment in the region.Farmland conversions“We have seen in many areas, people hacking down their apple trees to build Controlled Atmosphere Storages and other commercial units,” said Tariq Ahmad, an apple cultivator.He said people are converting farmland, including valuable orchard land, for construction of houses, shopping complexes and commercial establishments.“Once an orchard is converted, it is very difficult to bring that land back under cultivation,” Ahmad said.The broader pressure on farmland is evident from NITI Aayog data showing the area classified as “area put to non-agricultural uses” increasing by 1,000 hectares between 2020-21 and 2023-24. However, the category covers different types of non-agricultural uses and does not specify how much land was converted from orchards or how much was used for construction.Urban expansionThe trend is particularly visible around Srinagar, where rapid urban expansion has already eaten into the horticultural landscape.A land-use study based on satellite imagery found that Srinagar’s built-up area expanded by 3,835 hectares between 1980 and 2012, with about 258 hectares of plantation and orchard land directly converted into built-up areas.The study also found that 689 hectares of plantation and orchard land was lost overall during the period to built-up areas, parks and gardens and vacant land, highlighting the long-term pressure exerted by urban expansion on horticultural land.The loss of orchards also comes at a time when growers are investing in high-density plantations to improve productivity from smaller holdings. Such plantations require substantial investment in saplings, irrigation, support structures and other inputs, making the permanent conversion of productive land a concern for growers and the wider horticulture economy.Director Horticulture Vikas Anand said horticultural land could be converted for construction up to 18 marlas without seeking a change-of-land-use permission.“Beyond 18 marlas, permission for change of land use has to be sought from the respective Deputy Commissioners,” he said.For growers, however, the increasing conversion of orchards is a concern not only because of the loss of individual trees but also because every converted orchard reduces the land available for future horticultural production.“Once a parcel of land is converted for construction, it also impacts the surrounding orchards,” said a group of concerned farmers, who warned that unplanned development could have wider consequences for neighbouring fruit-growing areas.Published on August 28, 2026
