The past decade has witnessed a worrisome trend in the Valley’s farm sector: While the rice yield per hectare of paddy land is increasing, the paddy land itself is diminishing at an alarming rate, as revealed by a report published in this paper. According to official figures, over the past seven years, Kashmir has lost a staggering 6,000 hectares of paddy land, reducing the total land under paddy cultivation from 1,35,000 hectares to 1,29,000 hectares. Although there has been a significant increase in rice yield, this trend of diminishing paddy land demands immediate attention.
What has led to this state of affairs? Many people rightly blame the conversion of farmland into real estate and the increasing urbanization. However, the senior officials from the department of agriculture have also blamed the shifting cropping patterns and economic considerations as factors contributing to this decline. Some farmers find it more profitable to cultivate vegetables or convert paddy land into orchards. While this diversification is understandable, it exacerbates the shrinking of paddy land.
Successive governments have often been criticized for failing to enforce bans on construction on agricultural land effectively. The need for a comprehensive housing policy for every village in Kashmir is therefore emphasized as a potential solution to this pressing issue. The government must take proactive measures, including the formulation of robust housing policies, to address the issue and safeguard the region’s agricultural heritage.
Domestic crop production already falls far short of the food requirement in the Valley and we have to import heavily to meet the shortfall. However, there is still a degree of self-sufficiency in our countryside. And if the crop production in the countryside too goes down as the facts cited in our story reveal, it will further complicate the situation. But, this is an area which doesn’t command the attention of the government. Both in urban and rural Kashmir, the agriculture land is being relentlessly converted into housing colonies. This is despite the fact that the government has imposed due restrictions on doing so. This makes it imperative for the government to step in and frame policies that not only encourage agricultural production but also stop massive conversion of land into real estate.
The shrinking of paddy land in Kashmir is a concerning issue that threatens both food security and the livelihoods of its people. While technological advancements have boosted rice yields, it’s essential to prioritize the preservation of agricultural land for a sustainable future. And the government needs to play a role required of it.
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