Ganderbal: Kashmir Valley, known for its beauty, forests, snow-peaks and obviously is popular for its sweet fruits like apples, pears, cherries, walnuts and the most tasty grapes. These fruits require normal climatic condition, moderate rainfall, sunlight and departmental interest. To these tasty fruits have including grapes which is most delicious and is mostly found in Raipora area in Central Ganderbal district.
The best thing about the grapes of Kashmir is that they get ready when there are no grapes in other part of India. There are several varieties of grapes grown in Kashmir with each having a different taste and colors, Hussani green in colour. Shahi black in colour. Kishmishi and Thomson being the others, but the best variety grown is Kalu Saribi.
The grapes are in a great demand, as the outsiders and others carry them back home after a visit to the Kashmir.
Repora village in Kashmir is perhaps the only place in the country where fresh grapes are available in high quality, but the department is hardly taking care of grapes tree and growers. The revenue thus generated is always far less than what we invest due to less attention of the concern department, locals said.
Locals of Raipora village alleged that experts do not visit our grapes orchards, further said that lack of expert advice and inadequate interest from department sides is denting the production in our area, the department should organise awareness camps regarding the highly productions of grapes, they said.
The department has not provided high-yielding varieties to the growers that would produce high quantity of grapes, locals alleged, further said that lack of experts advice and less government interests causing hardship to growers and damaged nearly 80 percent of our grapes.
Mr. Shabir Ahmad, Chief Horticulture officer in his interview said that the department is doing its best for high quantity and quality of grapes in area, our team is continuously working on the high yielding which will improve the production of grapes in future at Raipora, we conduct the regular monitoring, provide expert advice’s and other techniques which can develop the quality of grapes, in future we will organise awareness camps regarding grapes production, he said.
