Changing Climate, Disease Pressures Threaten Kashmir’s Traditional Apple Varieties: Javid Dar
Srinagar, Oct 30, KNT: Several apple varieties once commonly cultivated in Kashmir have disappeared from widespread cultivation over the past decade or two, highlighting the need to promote climate-resilient crops and adapt horticultural practices to changing weather conditions, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said on Friday.
Addressing the 43rd Annual National Convention of the Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology (ISMPP) at the University of Kashmir, Dar stressed the need to identify and promote crop varieties that can withstand changing climatic conditions while remaining economically viable for growers.
The three-day convention, being held from October 29 to 31, is jointly organized by the University’s Department of Botany and ISMPP, in association with Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur. This year’s theme is “Advances and Challenges in Plant Pathology under Climate-Resilient Agriculture.”
Dar said changing weather patterns and increasing disease pressures posed serious challenges to agriculture and horticulture in Jammu and Kashmir, where large sections of the population depend on these sectors for their livelihoods.
He called for research-driven interventions and practical measures to help growers adapt to changing conditions while protecting crop health and sustaining production. He also described the government’s Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) as a unique initiative, emphasizing the importance of financial assistance and institutional support in making agriculture and horticulture more viable and sustainable.
University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan, who attended the convention as guest of honour, said the theme was particularly relevant in view of climate change, emerging plant diseases, declining soil health, food security and environmental sustainability.
She highlighted the importance of these concerns for Jammu and Kashmir, where apple, saffron, walnut and other high-value crops contribute significantly to the regional economy.
Dr. K. L. Gurjar, Joint Director, ICAR, New Delhi, and Prof. S. S. Chahal, President of ISMPP and former Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University and Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, also addressed the inaugural session.
ISMPP Secretary Dr. Pokhar Rawal spoke about the convention, while a souvenir was released on the occasion. Dr. Suresh Panday was conferred the ISMPP’s Chahal Lifetime Achievement Award.
Prof. Aijaz Ahmad Wani, Head of the Department of Botany at the University of Kashmir and convener of the event, delivered the welcome address. Prof. Mohd. Yaqub Bhat, organising secretary, presented the opening remarks, while Prof. Abdul Hamid Wani is the co-convener of the convention. [KNT]
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