Meet Bashir Ahmad War—A farmer, changing Sopore’s notion of horticulture
SUHAIL KHAN
SOPORE, Oct 12: Amid sufferings faced by the apple growers across Kashmir this year; a resident of a Sopore village in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district has come up with Kiwifarming to replace his apple orchards making him talk of the town.
Bashir Ahmad War, a resident of Warpora village of Sopore, told Kashmir Despatch that he started this business three years ago after being impressed in Shimla, where got inspired to grow Kiwis, considered to be a better cash crop by farmers across the world.
Initially, he got some plants from an agriculture university in Kashmir and took help from the horticulture and agriculture departments but later he went to Shimla to fetch more Kiwi plants and started his own Kiwi farm at Warpora Sopore.
The 50-year-old War stated that it was difficult to get it done on the ground at first, but with passion, nothing seems impossible, and thanks to the Almighty, “I was able to set up my own farm.”
While discussing the KIWI business, he stated that if the government is serious about saving the horticulture and agriculture industries in Kashmir, Kiwi farming could be a turning point and it could also play an important role in generating employment among younger generations.
War while praising Kiwi farming said that for one hectare of land, 80 plants will be adjusted and the time for seeding the trees is March-April while the harvesting time is the last week of October.
He said that after drying this fruit, it costs 1800 per kg, which is indeed a significant return for your hard work. War said that people don’t have enough knowledge about Kiwi farming but once they know, “I am sure people will switch to this sector as there is good profit besides fewer efforts are needed.” He said this could prove to be the best alternative in the horticulture sector.
War said that through this business, there are high chances to generate employment for the unemployed youth in Kashmir. War has vast experience in the horticulture industry and has been affiliated with this sector for the past 40 years.
He said the government should focus on Kiwifarming because farmers would require machinery and other infrastructure to start Kiwi production.
The economics of Kiwi farming:
The Kiwi is native to China. In India, kiwifruit is mostly grown in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala. Arunachal accounts for more than half of the total production. However, since kiwi was introduced in India only a few years back, government estimates of area and production are not yet available.
In kiwi farming, saplings are planted at a distance of 6 m from each other. The plant is like a grapevine and is not self-supporting. Due to their size and heavy crop load, kiwi plants require permanent support through structures called trellises.
It is pertinent to mention here that Kiwi fruit, which is rarely grown in Kashmir, has a variety of health benefits and does not require any kind of spraying of pesticides.
The Department of Horticulture in the Baramulla district in 2002 developed demonstration orchards in the district and has been “successful”.
