Jammu and Kashmir is famous for its Horticulture and the agriculture produce. It won’t be an exaggeration if we say that both horticulture and agriculture sectors are the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir. The latest J&K Economic Survey states that agriculture and allied activities engage about 45.7% of the labour force, while horticulture supports around 7 lakh families in J&K UT, with employment to 35 lakh persons. Kashmir valley is famous for its apples, walnuts, almond, world famous saffron and cherry production.
Appropriately 17 lakh metric tonnes of apples are produced every year. Apart from this, the valley produces the quality of other fruits and vegetables. Mushkbhuji quality of rice produced in Kashmir valley is a delicacy. On the other hand, the Jammu belt is famous for its huge production of vegetables. A few areas like Marh in Jammu, Chenani in Udhampur, Assar in Doda are called bowls of vegetables. Anardana is a delicacy found, in abundance , in the higher reaches of Jammu province. Kathua and Samba districts are famous for vegetables as well as mangoes, strawberry and litchi production. R S Pura belt is famous for export quality basmati rice. Anola is also produced in ample areas, especially in Jammu district.
In fact, Jammu
Kashmir’s fields and orchards feed our families and fuel our economy, but today, they are under silent attack. The very pesticides meant to protect our crops are poisoning our soil, water, food and even our children. Scientific studies now link excessive chemical use to rising cancer, brain tumors and neurological disorders among farmers and orchard workers.
Many pesticides still used in J&K, such as chlorpyrifos, paraquat and atrazine, are banned in the European Union and dozens of other countries because they harm human health and the environment. Chlorpyrifos, widely sprayed in Kashmir’s apple orchards, has been banned or severely restricted in more than 40 countries, including the United States, European Union member states, and Canada, due to its well documented risks to human health. Many scientific studies have shown that chlorpyrifos can harm brain development in children, affect fertility, and interfere with hormones in the body. Paraquat is a non selective herbicide widely used in Indian agriculture.
It is a highly toxic compound that can cause serious health effects, including death if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Paraquat (PQ) has been banned in many countries due to its health risks, but it is still available in India for sale and use. A major concern for Indian doctors is the high number of deaths caused by intentional or accidental exposure to PQ. Atrazine contaminates groundwater and kills aquatic life. In humans, exposure to ATZ is common in farm workers and herbicide applicators, who are frequently exposed to it. Such herbicides can enter the body through inhalation as well as swallowing food, water, or soil that contains ATZ. A prospective Cohort study found a positive association with multiple myeloma, non- Hodgkin lymphoma and cancers of the bladder and lungs. Yet, these chemicals remain legal and freely available in India, often sold without proper training or protective gear.
The evidence in J&K, too, is alarming. A study published in the Indian Journal of Paediatric and Medical Oncology revealed that 90.04% of individuals diagnosed with brain cancer in certain districts had a history of pesticide exposure.
Another study detected heavy metals, lead, arsenic, cadmium and more, in drinking wells, exceeding WHO limits, due to agrochemicals runoff from fields.
A study published in the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice highlighted that orchard farmers in Kashmir use over 30 different types of pesticides, many of which are spurious and sold without proper licenses. The lack of regulation and oversight has led to the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard products, further exacerbating the problem. Moreover, the application of these chemicals is often carried out without adequate safety measures. Farmers frequently lack proper training and protective equipment, leading to direct exposure to toxic substances. This not only endangers their health but also increases the risk of contamination of soil and water resources. Experts warn that chronic exposure can cause headaches, memory loss, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
In the past few years, the number of cancer, chronic kidney disease (CKD), Alzheimer’s and headache cases has increased drastically in Jammu and Kashmir.
Doctors, public health experts and environmentalists, increasingly, link this surge to direct exposure to the hazardous agrochemicals, contaminated food laden with chemical residues and polluted water sources. Families in orchard belts report multiple members falling ill.
Moreover, the indiscriminate use of pesticides has led to the decline of beneficial insect populations, including pollinators like bees and butterflies.
These insects play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting crop production. Their decline not only threatens biodiversity but also jeopardises the sustainability of agriculture in the region. Reports have also highlighted the disappearance of earthworms and dragonflies in areas with high pesticide usage. These species are vital indicators of environmental health, and their decline signals a broader ecological crisis. This is no longer a distant risk, it is a present day health & environment crisis demanding urgent intervention.
The time has come for bold action: phase out hazardous agrochemicals, enforce safety norms and support farmers in shifting to safer, sustainable practices. Any transition from the use of hazardous agrochemicals in fields and orchards to the safe alternative methods like use of bio-pesticides, introducing natural/ organic farming, adopting Integrated Pest Management System, Integrated Farming Systems etc. require a strong political willpower.
There are examples, wherein few Indian states and UTs, successfully, made this transition possible without reducing their total crop yield. It has already been shown that highly hazardous pesticides can be removed from agriculture with no adverse impact on food production. There are good examples from within India. In 2011, the state of Kerala banned 14 highly hazardous pesticides, which resulted in a marked reduction in deaths from pesticide poisoning. India’s state of Andhra Pradesh has taken a major step towards sustainable agriculture, developing a natural farming programme known as the ‘Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF). It aims to achieve 100% chemical free agriculture across the state by 2030. Similarly, the state of Sikkim has been widely recognised for its achievements in organic farming, winning Gold at the 2018 Future Policy Award for becoming the first organic state in the world. It has implemented a total ban on the sale and use of pesticides, using organic farming laws and economic powers such as taxes and subsidies to discourage pesticide use.
Recently, the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh took a major decision enforcing a complete ban on the use and sale of any chemical/synthetic fertiliser for agricultural practices in Ladakh.
This landmark decision is aimed at transforming Ladakh into a fully organic region. With the order coming into force, the procurement, distribution, sale, marketing and use of chemical/synthetic fertilisers is strictly prohibited across the Union Territory.
Similarly, Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, during the year 2022-23, launched the Holistic Agriculture Development Program, a major initiative to revolutionize the farming in Jammu and Kashmir.
A very important part of the Holistic Agriculture Development Program, have been three pilot projects paving the way for a shift to safe and sustainable agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir. Project No. 18, “Minimizing Pesticide Use in Agriculture (Pilot)”, funded at ₹27.00 crore and led by SKUAST Kashmir and SKUAST Jammu, promotes IPM, natural farming, bio pesticides, safer spraying technologies and demonstration clusters. Project No. 16, “Alternate Agriculture System for Sustainability,” has an allocation of ₹84.00 crore and supports integrated farming, crop diversification and ecological practices that reduce chemical inputs.
Project No. 21, “Promotion of High-Density Plantation and Rejuvenation of Orchards,” carries funding of ₹281.38 crore and promotes high density, climate resilient and disease tolerant fruit plantations, thereby reducing long term chemical dependence and improving productivity.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Departments are the implementing departments, while SKUAST Kashmir and SKUAST Jammu provide technical, research, training and field support assistance under the relevant activities. All three projects are a major leap towards a systematic transition from hazardous agrochemicals based horticulture/ agriculture to a safe sustainable model of horticulture/ agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir.
Now, the responsibility lies with the Omar Abdullah government to carry these measures forward to their logical end, in the interest of our farming community, their families, our environment, our lakes & rivers and a safe food chain in the UT.
At the heart of the solution are, also, our scientists from agriculture universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, working hand-in-hand with field officers of the agriculture department. They must lead the development of pest and disease resistant fruit varieties suited to J&K’s climate. They must run farmer field schools, demonstrate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and natural farming on real orchards, and provide real time advisory through mobile apps and field visits. Extension workers must be equipped to guide farmers away from blanket chemical spraying toward precision, need based interventions.
The government must publish a transparent, crop wise list of permitted and banned pesticides.
It must phase out the most hazardous chemicals, starting with those banned in the EU. Regular testing of fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, soil and water must become mandatory. Safe equipment, calibrated sprayers, low drift nozzles, protective gear, should be subsidised.
Organic and natural farming must be incentivised with crop insurance, assured procurement and premium prices for low residue produce. Equally important is reviving traditional farming methods, crop rotation, mixed cropping, farmyard manure, composting, mulching and botanical formulations, that restored soil fertility for generations before the Green Revolution.
These must be integrated with modern IPM, natural farming and integrated farming systems. Farmers need training, low interest loans, bio input subsidies and demonstration orchards in every block. At the same time, they should be supported to adopt modern tools precision sprayers, drone scouting, soil health cards and drip irrigation, that save water, reduce chemical drift and boost efficiency.
Jammu and Kashmir’s farmers do not have to choose between livelihoods and health. With the right support, led by scientists, extension workers and a committed government, they can lead a green transition. The cost of inaction is too high: more cancer, more polluted rivers, more poisoned food. The time to act is now.
The author is a supporter of natural farming and writes on climate change, sustainable growth, safe food and agriculture, environmental protection, and single-use plastic. He is the Convenor of We The Humans Forum for Nature and Mankind, Jammu, a public charitable trust. Before that, he retired as a District Officer from the Department of Horticulture, J&K Government, after giving in service for a period of 30 years.
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