Srinagar, October 27: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday estimated the damage caused by the recent floods to the agriculture and allied sectors at ₹209 crore and said that a detailed report has been sent to the Centre with a request for financial assistance.
“Agriculture and allied sectors have suffered losses of ₹209 crore. We have sent this assessment to the Centre, and we are hopeful that we will get something,” Agriculture Minister Javed Dar said in the state assembly while replying to a question by PDP MLA from Pulwama, Waheed Para.
Raising the issue, Para demanded that the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans of farmers be waived, citing heavy losses due to incessant rains, floods, and the closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway in August. “It will be a burden of ₹600 crore. I hope the chief minister will consider this,” Para said.
However, Minister Dar rejected the figure, saying that the estimated loss was being exaggerated. “There is a myth here. If there is a ₹100 crore loss, it becomes ₹1,000 crore. The total loss in agriculture and allied sectors is ₹209 crore,” he clarified.
Dar informed the House that Kashmir Valley alone produces around 23 lakh metric tonnes of fruit annually, out of which 1.75 lakh metric tonnes had already been dispatched before the highway closure. “Around 22,000 metric tonnes of fruit were stuck on the highway due to the blockade,” he said.
Responding to Para’s starred question on crop insurance for apple growers, Dar said that the tendering process for selecting an insurance company was currently underway. “Under the Re-structured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), crops like apple, saffron, mango, and litchi have been notified to provide insurance cover. The process for selecting the insurance company from among those empanelled by the Government of India is in progress,” he said in a written reply.
On the issue of cold storage facilities, the minister said that the estimated requirement for Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage in J&K is around 6 lakh metric tonnes, which accounts for 30 per cent of the annual fruit production. “Currently, the Union Territory has a CA storage capacity of 2.92 lakh metric tonnes. The department is working to enhance this capacity gradually over the next five years,” Dar said.
He added that the government is conducting seminars in every district to encourage youth to invest in post-harvest infrastructure such as cold storage units. “As most storage units are located in the Industrial Growth Centre at Lassipora, Pulwama, and the Industrial Estate at Aglar, Shopian, efforts are underway to establish sector-specific industrial estates for horticulture in other districts as well,” the minister said.
Highlighting measures to improve market infrastructure, Dar informed the assembly that two new fruit and vegetable mandis have been set up at Prichoo (Pulwama) and Pachhar (Rajpora). “Both mandis are functional, and the basic infrastructure is available. Upgradation and improvement of these mandis is a continuous process,” he said.
According to the minister, funds amounting to ₹1.28 crore and ₹3.68 crore have been earmarked under NABARD for the upgradation of these two mandis during the 2025–26 financial year.
Dar reiterated that the government remains committed to supporting the farming community and ensuring the quick restoration of agricultural operations impacted by the floods. “We are hopeful that the Centre will provide adequate assistance to help the affected farmers recover their losses,” he said.
(Agencies)
