IFAD-funded initiative aimed at boosting high-return farming
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Aug 20: The Agriculture Production Department (APD) of Jammu and Kashmir has planned to conduct a baseline survey for the “Competitiveness Improvement of the Agriculture and Allied Sector Project (JKCIP)” to assess various agricultural indicators of the UT in an effort to shift the focus from the subsistence agriculture to high-return farming in the region.
The JKCIP project is aimed at completely changing the outlook of farming in the region by enhancing the competitiveness of agriculture and horticulture through climate-resilient and modern technologies.
It also focuses on addressing constraints in high-value niche crops, improving productivity, and promoting value addition through grading, packing, storage, processing, and establishing strong market linkages.
Special emphasis under the project is also being placed on adopting climate-resilient technologies to safeguard natural resources and ensure long-term sustainability.
Official sources in APD said the baseline survey will cover five major impact assessment domains. These include household income of the farming families and their net assets to understand economic benefits and poverty levels, enterprise development to examine the growth of small and micro-enterprises, human and social empowerment with a focus on women and youth, financial linkages and institutional performance, and crop yields of saffron, chilli, apple, walnut, mango, citrus, and stone fruits.
Nutrition and women’s empowerment indicators will also form part of the survey, assessing dietary diversity, access to economic opportunities, and participation in rural institutions, they said.
The Agriculture Production Department has outlined that the survey must capture all outcome-level indicators listed in the project, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the ground realities.
The findings will guide the effective implementation of JKCIP, which is structured around four key components – climate-smart and market-led production, agri-business ecosystem development, support to vulnerable communities, and project management.
Pertinently, the J&K administration has already approved 29 agriculture and allied sector projects worth around Rs 5,000 crore under its broader mission to transform the sector from subsistence-based to modern, sustainable, and high-return farming, with equivalent investment expected from farmers and private players.
The Government is also engaging with multilateral and bilateral partners to bring in technical expertise and additional financing.
Through this baseline survey and subsequent interventions, sources said, the JKCIP seeks to drive a shift in the lives of J&K farmers over the next five to seven years, ensuring that agriculture becomes a vibrant, climate-resilient, and income-generating sector for rural households in the region.
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