By Zain Ul Aabedin
Srinagar- As dawn breaks over Bugam, a steady stream of trucks laden with fresh vegetables begins to emerge from the village, their cargo bays overflowing with a colorful bounty. The soft morning light bathes the produce lining the village roads in a warm glow—a familiar routine for the village. At any time of day, men, women, and even children can be seen working tirelessly in the fields.
Bugam, a village in tehsil Chadoora of district Budgam contributes enormous vegetable production in the district. The large production of vegetables and its supply to different parts of the country by the farmers of this village has ushered people to call it ‘Chhota Punjab’.
According to the department of agriculture and farmers welfare, Chadoora, Bugam has 202.25 hectares of land. Farmers cultivate inorganic vegetables on 122.25 Hectors, while 80 hectares are dedicated to organic farming. The 2.04 hectares are used for oil seeds, 4.19 hectares for fodder, and 140.03 hectares for vegetables. Orchards cover 56 hectares, though farmers also grow vegetables on a portion of that land.
“Two years ago, Chhota Punjab produced 4,687 quintals of vegetables, generating a total revenue of over Rs 12.20 crore,” said Tahir Hussain, the Agricultural Extension Officer.
Bugam was primarily focused on paddy fields and seed cultivation until about 40 years ago, local farmers said. “The practice of cultivating vegetables like Green Collards, spinach, Cauliflower, Turnip, Radish, potato, Cabbage and carrot was introduced in Bugam by the farmers of Srinagar, around 20 to 25 years ago. Since then villagers have been transporting their produce to local mandis using local carts,” a farmer said.
Around 492 families in the village are engaged in farming, with agriculture playing a pivotal role in the lives of over 3742 residents. Interestingly, some officials, who have risen to higher positions, come from these same farming families and have continued to stay connected to their agricultural roots.
With farming passing down as a heritage to occupation, the farmers work enthusiastically in their fields. But the voices of these farmers wail for technological advancement for their amelioration.
“I have 20 Kanals of land and annually I earn 1.5 Lakhs to 2 Lakhs from each Kanal,” said Gowher Bashir, a young local farmer, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Gowhar believes that the introduction of modern technology, such as drone fertilization and spraying, could significantly boost his productivity and income.
“If the government will provide us with modern technology, we will be able to earn more than 2 lakhs from one Kanal of land. I request the government to organise a drone boot camp led by experts in our locality to educate and raise awareness about the drone fertilising and spraying. This drone technology will enhance our daily work and we will be able to produce more crops,” he added.
Another local farmer also expressed concern over the lack of awareness programs. “The government has the role to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity through their awareness programs. I have seen only one or two such awareness programs in my life,” he said.
“Most of the elders of this village are engaged with farming, and many are uneducated. The government should focus on educating us through awareness camps, not our children in schools. After all, they cannot produce vegetables inside the classroom.”
The farmers in Bugam primarily cultivate cauliflowers and carrots in their fields. Cauliflower seeds are sown in the month of December in a controlled environment greenhouse to protect them from the region’s harsh winter. The seeds grow into plantlets and the farmers transplant them into the field in the month of February. The harvest season of cauliflowers falls between April and May. Some farmers sow and harvest carrots in the parallel time period but these seeds are direct-sown seeds and do not require controlled environment, as they are not resilient due to their root vegetable nature.
“The technology in Punjab has reached to this point where they use carrot machines to wash carrots that are capable of cleaning 0.5-2 metric tons of carrots per hour,” Gowhar said, adding that with the right government support and access to modern technology, Bugam’s agricultural future could flourish beyond its current potential.
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