Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 22: Farmers in Repora, a village in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, are busy harvesting grapes as the month long season reaches its peak, turning the area into a bustling hub of activity.
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Every August, the quiet village of Repora in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district comes alive. Known as the “Grapes Village of Kashmir,” it is famous for its sweet Sahiba, Hussaini, and Anabeshai grapes.
More than 80% of Repora’s 800 residents grow grapes, and August is their busiest time. The harvest lasts for about a month and involves almost everyone in the village. “This is the most important season for us. We work the whole year for these weeks. The youth also take part, and the Government gives us support,” a local farmer said.
The grapes of Repora have a special place in local culture. Farmers say their sweetness was praised in poetry by Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, one of Kashmir’s most respected saints. Many also believe another Sufi saint, Mir Syed Shah Sadiq Qalandar, blessed the land with this gift centuries ago.
“Our grapes are tastier and need fewer pesticides. We used to spray seven times, now only three. One day we hope to grow them fully organic,” another farmer said.
During harvest season, the village becomes a hive of activity. Families work together to cut bunches of grapes, pack them in baskets, and load them onto carts headed to markets across the Kashmir Valley.
A Horticulture officer in Ganderbal said Repora is an example for grape farming in the region. “It provides jobs to young people and shows the potential of high-quality grape production. We want to promote it further and bring in new varieties,” he said.
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