Jammu, Feb 17: Warning that Kashmir’s fragile economy cannot survive another blow, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para on Tuesday told the Legislative Assembly that the apple industry—the region’s sole economic lifeline through decades of conflict—is now facing an existential threat from international trade agreements.
“Apple is something that has kept Kashmir alive in 30 years of violence,” Para said as per Kashmir Convener, intervening in a debate on horticulture. He argued that the sector’s collapse would shatter any hope of economic revival, directly linking the fate of the industry to the broader challenge of unemployment and the fight against militancy.
The Pulwama legislator as per Kashmir Convener specifically flagged India’s free trade agreements with Australia, New Zealand, and 25 countries in Europe, asserting that these pacts have placed the local fruit market in “great danger.”
“The issue of free trade… our fruit market is in great danger and the farmers are also worried,” he said, demanding an all-party meeting to build consensus on approaching the Prime Minister. “This is an issue for the opposition, the BJP, the Congress and the government… so that we can appeal to the Prime Minister… Until then, the economy will not revive unless you save the apple industry.”
While acknowledging the technical interventions introduced by the government—such as high-density plantation, drip irrigation, and hail nets under the HADP—Para pointed to a stark gap between policy and reality. He noted that out of 30 lakh canals under apple cultivation in J&K, only 30,000 canals have been covered by high-density farming.
To accelerate this transition, he proposed interest-free loans through J&K Bank, arguing that a waiver of interest would enable wider adoption without the bureaucratic hurdles of subsidies. “In two years, the more he invests, the more money comes back in high density,” he said.
The MLA also flagged the stalled dry port project in Jammu and administrative red tape that has created a massive cost disparity for borewells—Rs 2 lakh through the Rural Development Department versus Rs 25 lakh through the Groundwater Department—urging better coordination to address the irrigation crisis.
Raising the pitch for a structural shift, Peoples Conference President Sajad Gani Lone also called for a fundamental reorientation of J&K’s agrarian economy, arguing that the region has no competitive advantage in growing rice and must pivot entirely to horticulture.
“If there is an economic revolution waiting to happen in J&K, it’s through horticulture,” Lone said as per Kashmir Convener, placing it alongside tourism as the only sectors capable of transforming the region’s economy. He projected that converting all agricultural land to horticulture over a decade could generate revenues of approximately two lakh crore rupees, translating into lakhs of jobs.
On the pending US trade deal, Lone urged the government to act proactively rather than wait for the agreement to be signed. He argued that with basic data on the landed cost of American apples in Dubai, the administration could formally represent J&K’s interests before the Government of India. “The deal hasn’t been signed yet,” he stressed, questioning why the concerned department was not already seized of the matter.
Lone also alleged a “monopolisation” of post-harvest subsidies by the corporate sector, claiming that growers for whom these subsidies are intended are seeing little benefit. He demanded direct government intervention to redirect these funds to actual fruit growers.
In unusually sharp remarks on rural governance, Lone urged the minister to keep elected representatives entirely out of the rural development process, arguing that MGNREGA and Gram Sabha funds are meant for the poor and should remain with the poor, governed at the village level without political interference. He criticised the transfer of low-paid functionaries as an “abuse of political power.”
He also proposed reorienting MGNREGA’s core objective toward asset creation, with employment as a natural byproduct rather than the other way around, to improve outcomes on the ground.
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