Agriculture Supports 70 Per Cent Population in Jammu Kashmir: Economic Survey | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Agriculture continues to play a central role in Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, supporting nearly 70 per cent of the population directly or indirectly, according to the Economic Survey 2025–26 tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

The survey states that the Union Territory is implementing a range of initiatives aimed at improving agricultural productivity, farmer incomes and market access, while promoting crop diversification and sustainable practices.

Under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), 29 projects with a total outlay of Rs 5,013 crore are under execution across Jammu and Kashmir for a period of five years. The survey projects that the programme is expected to increase the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) by around Rs 28,000 crore, generate nearly 2.88 lakh additional jobs, and support the creation of about 19,000 new enterprises. According to the survey, nearly 13 lakh families are expected to benefit from the programme, while skill development interventions are projected to cover around 2.5 lakh youth.

The Economic Survey also notes the rollout of the Jammu and Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement Project (JKCIP), launched in 2024 with an allocation of Rs 1,800 crore. The project is being implemented across 90 selected blocks over a period of seven years and is aimed at benefitting around three lakh families, covering an estimated population of 15 lakh individuals. The survey states that implementation has commenced in selected blocks, supported by a digital portal for online applications, processing, monitoring and reporting.

On the production front, total foodgrain output in Jammu and Kashmir increased from 20,904 thousand quintals to 21,181 thousand quintals. Vegetable production during 2024–25 stood at 496.09 thousand quintals, with expansion reported in high-value crops such as broccoli and asparagus. The survey also records value-added initiatives, including the processing of maize into corn flakes and sweet corn.

Market reforms have focused on strengthening regulated mandis and digital trading platforms. Seventeen out of 19 wholesale mandis in the Union Territory have been integrated with the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM). As per the survey, 55,355 registrations have been completed on the platform, with trade amounting to Rs 1,680.64 crore involving 28.26 lakh quintals of agricultural produce.

The survey outlines the implementation of flagship central schemes aimed at farm risk mitigation and income support. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), crop insurance coverage has been extended to all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. During 2024–25, a total of 2.08 lakh farmers were insured over 80,884 hectares, with claims worth Rs 26.92 crore disbursed to over 94,000 farmers. In Kharif 2025, 2.015 lakh farmers covering 75,735 hectares were enrolled under the scheme.

Under the PM-KISAN income support scheme, an amount of Rs 3,907.49 crore was disbursed to 9.19 lakh farmers during 2024–25, the survey states.

Institutional credit access has expanded through the issuance of Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs). As per the Economic Survey, 11.39 lakh KCCs have been issued so far, including 8.78 lakh to crop farmers and 2.61 lakh to beneficiaries in the animal husbandry sector. Credit amounting to Rs 10,290 crore has been extended under the KCC scheme up to December 2025.p

The survey also records progress in the registration of Geographical Indication (GI) tags, with seven agricultural products, including Kashmir Saffron, Mushkbudji Rice, Basmati Rice (Jammu) and Sulai Honey (Ramban), Bhaderwah Rajmash, Kaladi (Udhampur-Ramnagar), and Ramban Anardana having received GI certification. Twenty additional products are at various stages of registration. Agricultural universities in the Union Territory have registered 164 patents over the last four years, including 47 during 2025–26.

In allied agricultural activities, mushroom production during 2025–26 was recorded at 1,061.6 metric tonnes, while honey production reached 6,975.34 metric tonnes, supported by the addition of over 11,532 bee colonies. The survey also notes that vegetable cultivation expanded by an additional 3,000 hectares during 2024. The gross area under vegetable cultivation is 6,500 hectares.

According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, initiatives related to irrigation development, micro-irrigation and improved water-use efficiency are being implemented to address climate variability and support agricultural production across the Union Territory.