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| Kashmir to face 50% food grain deficit by 2030 | | | Majid Ahmad
Srinagar, Sept 8: Despite state government's claims that agriculture sector, which is the backbone of the state's economy, is on its top priority, Jammu and Kashmir continues to be a food deficit and consumer state. The state mostly relies on imports to meet its food requirements and in the coming years, the situation is expected to worsen.
Assuming no significant change in food consumption pattern here, experts say there will be a requirement of 1.82 million tonnes of food-grains in 2030. According to official figures, Kashmir region of the State is going to be 36 percent food grain deficit by next year and it may cross the figure of 50 percent by 2030 if the corrective measures were not taken by the Government. Coming out of large colonies at the cost of agriculture land is one of the reasons which has caused impact on the food production. Shrinking of agriculture land and fast conversion of this land into commercial activities, shifting of farmers from agriculture to horticulture, production of vegetables and other sectors has caused much impact on it.An economic survey conducted in 2011-2012 reveals that the percentage contribution of agriculture and allied sectors has come down to 19.41 percent in 2011-12 from 28.06 percent in 2004-05.As the shortfalls are met through imports from the neighbouring states, the imports have witnessed a steep rise from 0.35 million tonnes in 2001-02 to nine million tonnes in 2010-11.Of the total area (0.85 million hectares) under major cereals, 0.62 million hectares (72.38 percent ) are in Jammu contributing about 1.23 million tonnes (73.25 percent ) to total food production, whereas Kashmir has 0.23 million hectares (27.15 percent) producing 0.45 million tonnes (26.53 percent). Ladakh has only 0.0004 million hectares (0.52 percent) with a production of 0.0038 million tonnes (0.23 percent).
According to the present per capita food consumption, Kashmir has a food-grain requirement of 1.34 million tonnes against available 0.45 million tonnes thereby resulting a huge deficit of 0.89 million tonnes.The agriculture sector in the state faces challenges on many fronts. On the supply side, the yield of most crops is not improving. According to experts yield of food grains is stagnant at around 16 quintals per hectare based on last four years average figure.
"In some cases it fluctuates downwards. The cultivable area is about eight per cent of geographical area and 34 per cent of the reporting area, net area sown constitutes only 30 per cent of the reporting area. The scope for increase in the net area sown is limited rather bleak. Farm size is continuously shrinking," said an expert from SKUAST.
The annual food-grain production hovers around 18 million tonnes against the requirement of about 24 million tonnes revealing a gap of 0.6 million tonnes (25 percent).Experts point out that there are regional disparities both in terms of area as well as production of food-grains. Availability of irrigation facility is restricted to 44 per cent of the net area sown and 56 per cent is still a rain fed area. A major constraint to the development of agriculture in J&K is the fact that only 50 per cent of the ultimate irrigation potential of the state has been harnessed. J&K is also deficient in rainfall. Development of irrigation potential in the state becomes necessary for reducing dependence on import of food-grains and other agricultural products. Small size of land holdings which is 94 per cent of the land holdings fall in the size class of less than 2 hectare. More importantly the average holding size is 0.67 hectares as compared to 1.23 hectares in India as per latest agriculture census.
Inadequate research in the field of agriculture in the state and inadequate Agricultural Finance facilities further aggravates the problem. As rice continues to be the preferred food of the Valley, the continued increase in population eventually will have a major implication for food demand and food security. |
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