1 month ago

Kargil Farmers Adapt to Climate Change

Kargil Farmers Adapt to Climate Change
Kargil’s apricot farmers adapt to climate change · financialexpress.com

Farmers in Kargil, Ladakh, are facing challenges due to climate change.

The weather is becoming unpredictable, making it harder to grow and dry apricots.

Apricots are a big part of their economy, but they need to be dried quickly after harvest.

The government introduced solar dryers to help, but they didn't work well.

Many farmers went back to traditional drying methods.

Now, they are using pack houses, which seem to work better.

These pack houses are simple structures that dry the fruit evenly and reliably.

The farmers are finding ways to adapt to the changing climate and keep their apricot farming alive.

Key facts

Apricot Production
15,789 tonnes annually
Harvest Window
20 days
Drying Window
5-6 hours after picking
Processing Units
4 private, 1 government (low capacity)
Apricot Exports
West Asian markets
Solar Dryers
312 distributed, 300 installed
Pack Houses
1,048 provided in Kargil
Economic Contribution
Rs 43 crore to Kargil's economy

Quotes

Mohammad Akhoon

Representative of the Fruit Growers Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society

“"There is a real need to study apricots, especially how global warming is affecting our farming," said Nasreen Fatima, senior scientist and head of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kargil.”
financialexpress.com
“"Most of it went to waste because there was no clear marketing strategy outside Ladakh," said Mohammad Akhoon of the Fruit Growers Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society.”
financialexpress.com

Sources

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