AgriBiz

Insight into Kashmir’s walnut harvesting

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2 years ago

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Text by Syed Jesarat

Pictures by Suliman Saith

As Kashmir’s walnut harvesting season is at its peak, people have begun picking and processing the valley’s famed dry fruit. Walnut is among the most sought-after dry fruits produced in Kashmir.  Walnut harvesting is a labour-intensive and occasionally dangerous process that has claimed many lives in Kashmir.
Traditionally walnuts in Kashmir are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or sprays. Therefore, we can call them organically produced. In the valley, walnuts are mostly of three types: Wonth, Kagazi and Burzul.
 
Three steps complete the walnut processing after they are picked: hulling, drying and storage.
Process of Hulling: As the walnuts grow on the tree, the dry outer covering that is placed outside of the shell is removed through hulling process.
Process of Drying: In the second stage, walnuts are dried on the open surface until the desired moisture content is reached.

Process of storage: During the final stage, walnuts are stored for further use. Walnuts are used in many dishes and cosmetics.

 

Walnut is one of the key produces of Jammu and Kashmir which provides livelihood to thousands of families. About 2.66 lakh metric tonnes of walnuts are produced on 89,000 hectares of land in Jammu and Kashmir, the highest in the states and UTs in the country. Overall production is 2.47 tonnes per hectare, and J&K has been designated an Agri-Export Zone for walnuts because of its high productivity.  As a result, Kashmir is the largest walnut supplier in India.

Walnut growing in Kashmir has enormous potential for development as an industry because of the variety of walnuts present in Kashmir, their health benefits, and their usage in food.

 

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