Kargil (Ladakh), April 23 (Scoop News) –With the onset of summer season tourist from all over the world thronged Kashmir and are visiting the largest Tulip Garden of Asia, like wise Kargil has became white once again with the blossoms of Apricot.
The Farmers are happy with such a great blossoms and are expecting a good production season later this year. Hardass the Apricot Belt of India and adjoining villages seems to be covered with white flowers of the Apricot trees and one feels like in heaven while visiting these places. Last year tourist from Japan visited Hardass in this season to see the Apricot blossoms and if the tourism department ad the State Government makes a little focus on cashing this season will earn lots of revenue from this sector.
As the State Tourism Department is ignoring Kargil from the last three years, as there is not a single penny for tourism development, no package for up-liftmen of tourist destination, as compared to other palaces of the State. Some days back the center government has announced special circuits for J&K and in Ladakh only Leh district has been termed as Buddhist circuit, for information the Great Five Colossal Buddha Statues of the Bamiyan Clan is present only in Kargil which is a rare treasure of the State which needs to be protected.
Farmers from Hardass told that they have got a very fertile land and is the only source of Income for them but due to shortage of Water and the damaged Irrigational Canal they face scarcity of water in the peak season due to which the quality of the Apricot suffers.
The Government is making an irrigational canal from Chulisakmboo (Chanigund) but there is no progress and one of the farmers said that there is possibility of Lift Irrigation but the cost is very high so they demand from the government to kindly interfere in this matter and find some suitable solutions. In case of not making some arrangement the farmers will lose production of crore of rupees this year.
On the contrary Dr Mehdi Akhone Coordinator Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kargil (SKUAST) said that according to a new finding Apricot fruit contains Vitamin B 16 in large quantity and is a good anti cancer substitute. He further said that proper processing of Apricot will earn crore of rupees to the farmers. He further added that there are more than 150 varieties of Apricot in Kargil which needs to be protected, as farmers are going for a particular type of apricot for better returns.
Some Farmers from Goma Kargil and Adjoining Villages demanded for uplifting the Ban on the export of Fresh Apricot outside Kargil via valley due to the fear of a pest called Codling Moth with Apricot fruits which are harmful for Apple production of Kashmir.
In the times of Maharaja Hari Singh this ban was implemented and is still continuing which is a point to be focused. According to Akhone Mohammad of Poyen who is a progressive farmer and a local researcher said that if the government cannot lift the ban than they have to make arrangements for exporting Apricot to those places where there is no harm to other plants from this pest for example in the plans. He further added that if the ban is not lifted than they will force the local council to ban on importing Apple and other fruits from Valey to Ladakh as they carry pest like snaps which are harmful to the fruits in Ladakh.
Meanwhile on the onset of summer season the Horticulture department started distributing Apricote saplings along with local apple and High Density Apple saplings amongst the Farmers.
It is fact that all the Plants have some nutritional and medicinal value and in Kargil one can find lots of herbal plants. With the appointment of Dr Mehdi Akhone the son of soil as Coordinator Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kargil (SKUAST) lots of experiments are going on to search for new avenues in Agriculture, Horticulture and related sectors so that the income of the poor farmers can be enhanced.
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