Srinagar, Aug 24 (KNO): Jammu and Kashmir is renowned for its rich horticulture and agriculture. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these sectors are among the mainstays of the region’s economy and livelihoods. The latest J&K Economic Survey states that agriculture and allied activities engage about 45.7% of the labour force, while horticulture supports around seven lakh families and provides employment to about 35 lakh people in the Union Territory.
Kashmir is famous for its apples, walnuts, almonds, saffron and cherries. The Valley produces approximately 17 lakh metric tonnes of apples every year, besides a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Kashmiri rice varieties such as Mushk Budji are prized for their distinctive flavour. Jammu, meanwhile, is known for its substantial vegetable production. Areas such as Marh in Jammu, Chenani in Udhampur and Assar in Doda are often described as vegetable bowls. The higher reaches of Jammu are known for anardana, while Kathua and Samba produce vegetables as well as mangoes, strawberries and litchis. The R.S. Pura belt is renowned for export-quality basmati rice, while amla is also produced extensively, particularly in Jammu district.
Yet Jammu and Kashmir’s fields and orchards, which feed families and fuel the economy, face a growing environmental and public-health challenge. The pesticides intended to protect crops can, when misused or overused, contaminate soil, water and food and expose farmers, farm workers and consumers to harmful chemicals.
Some pesticides used in India, including chemicals such as chlorpyrifos, paraquat and atrazine, have faced bans or severe restrictions in various countries because of concerns over their impacts on human health and the environment. Chlorpyrifos, for instance, has been widely used in agriculture and has been restricted or banned in several jurisdictions because of concerns about developmental and neurological effects. Paraquat is highly toxic, with exposure capable of causing severe poisoning and death. Atrazine has also raised concerns over groundwater contamination and impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
These risks warrant much greater scrutiny in Jammu and Kashmir, where the safe use, regulation and monitoring of agricultural chemicals remain critical.
The evidence emerging from J&K is concerning. A study published in the Indian Journal of Paediatric and Medical Oncology reported a high prevalence of pesticide exposure among individuals diagnosed with brain cancer in certain districts. Another study detected heavy metals, including lead, arsenic and cadmium, in drinking-water wells at levels exceeding WHO limits, attributing the contamination to agrochemical runoff.
Research published in the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice has also highlighted extensive pesticide use among orchard farmers in Kashmir, including the use of multiple pesticide formulations and concerns over spurious products and inadequate regulation. Farmers often apply chemicals without adequate protective equipment or training, increasing the risk of occupational exposure and contamination of soil and water.
The potential health consequences of prolonged pesticide exposure are serious and can include neurological and other chronic health effects. However, claims that pesticide exposure alone is responsible for the overall rise in cancer, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease or other illnesses in Jammu and Kashmir should be examined through rigorous epidemiological research rather than assumed as established fact. What is beyond dispute is that reducing unnecessary exposure to hazardous chemicals is a sensible public-health and environmental objective.
The ecological consequences are equally important. Indiscriminate pesticide use can harm beneficial insects, including bees and butterflies, which are essential pollinators. Their decline threatens biodiversity and can ultimately affect agricultural productivity. Reports of declining earthworm and dragonfly populations in heavily treated areas are further reminders that the health of agricultural ecosystems cannot be separated from the health of the crops grown in them.
This is why the time has come for a carefully planned transition towards safer agriculture. Jammu and Kashmir should phase down the use of the most hazardous agrochemicals, strengthen safety standards and help farmers adopt alternatives such as biopesticides, natural farming, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and integrated farming systems.
Such a transition requires political will, scientific guidance and sustained financial support. It also requires recognising that farmers cannot simply be told to stop using chemicals without being provided affordable and effective alternatives.
There are encouraging examples from across India. Kerala banned 14 highly hazardous pesticides in 2011, with subsequent research reporting a reduction in pesticide-poisoning deaths. Andhra Pradesh has developed the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming programme, with the long-term objective of expanding chemical-free agricultural practices. Sikkim has become internationally recognised for its transition to organic farming and was the first state in the world to become fully organic.
Ladakh has also recently moved towards restricting the use and sale of chemical and synthetic fertilisers as part of its effort to promote organic agriculture.
Jammu and Kashmir, too, has already laid important groundwork. During 2022–23, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), a major initiative aimed at transforming the agriculture and allied sectors of the Union Territory.
Three components of the programme are particularly relevant to reducing dependence on hazardous agrochemicals. Project No. 18, Minimizing Pesticide Use in Agriculture (Pilot), has an allocation of ₹27 crore and is being implemented with the involvement of SKUAST Kashmir and SKUAST Jammu. It promotes IPM, natural farming, biopesticides, safer spraying technologies and demonstration clusters.
Project No. 16, Alternate Agriculture System for Sustainability, has an allocation of ₹84 crore and supports integrated farming, crop diversification and ecological practices aimed at reducing chemical inputs.
Project No. 21, Promotion of High-Density Plantation and Rejuvenation of Orchards, has an allocation of ₹281.38 crore and promotes high-density, climate-resilient and disease-tolerant fruit plantations, with the potential to improve productivity while reducing long-term dependence on chemical interventions.
These initiatives can provide the foundation for a systematic transition towards safer and more sustainable agriculture and horticulture in Jammu and Kashmir.
The responsibility now lies with the Omar Abdullah government to carry these initiatives forward and ensure that their objectives translate into measurable change on the ground—in the interests of farmers, their families, the environment, rivers and lakes, and the safety of the food chain.
Agricultural scientists at SKUASTs and Krishi Vigyan Kendras must be at the centre of this effort, working closely with field officers of the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments. Research should focus on pest- and disease-resistant crop and fruit varieties suited to J&K’s climate.
Scientists and extension workers should run farmer field schools, demonstrate IPM and natural farming practices in actual fields and orchards, and provide timely advisories through mobile applications and field visits. Farmers should be guided away from blanket chemical spraying towards precise, need-based interventions.
The government should also publish a transparent, crop-wise list of permitted and prohibited pesticides and establish a clear roadmap for phasing out the most hazardous chemicals. Regular testing of fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, soil and water should be strengthened. Protective equipment, calibrated sprayers and low-drift nozzles should be made affordable through targeted subsidies and extension programmes.
Organic and natural farming should be supported through appropriate incentives, crop insurance, assured markets and premium prices for verified low-residue produce. Traditional practices such as crop rotation, mixed cropping, farmyard manure, composting, mulching and botanical formulations—which sustained farming communities for generations—can be combined with modern IPM, natural farming and integrated farming systems.
Farmers also need access to training, affordable credit, bi-input subsidies and demonstration farms and orchards. Modern tools such as precision sprayers, drone-based pest surveillance, soil-health assessments and drip irrigation can further reduce chemical use, conserve water and improve efficiency.
Jammu and Kashmir’s farmers should not have to choose between their livelihoods and their health. With the right combination of science, policy, incentives and field-level support, they can become the driving force behind a greener and safer agricultural transition.
The cost of inaction could be measured not only in degraded soil and polluted water, but also in unnecessary exposure to hazardous chemicals and the loss of public confidence in the safety of our food. Jammu and Kashmir has the opportunity to build an agricultural model that protects both livelihoods and the land that sustains them. The time to begin is now.
The author is a supporter of natural farming and writes on climate change, sustainable growth, safe food and agriculture, environmental protection, and single-use plastic. He is the Convenor of We The Humans Forum for Nature and Mankind, Jammu, a public charitable trust. He previously served as a District Officer in the Department of Horticulture, J&K Government, before retiring after 30 years of service.
He can be reached at, Email: verma.anujjk@gmail.com
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