Srinagar, October 27, 2025 : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said that floods have caused losses worth ₹209 crore to agriculture and allied sectors, and a detailed damage assessment report will be sent to the Centre to seek financial assistance for affected farmers.
Responding to questions in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Agriculture Minister Javed Dar informed lawmakers that the government has completed the loss assessment and would write to the Union government for relief.
“Agriculture and allied sectors have suffered losses of ₹209 crore. We have sent this assessment to the Centre and are hopeful of receiving appropriate support,” the minister said while replying to a query raised by PDP MLA Waheed Para from Pulwama.
Para urged the government to waive off Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans for farmers who suffered heavy losses due to incessant rains and prolonged highway closures in August.
“It will be a burden of ₹600 crore, but I hope the Chief Minister will consider it,” he said.
However, the Agriculture Minister dismissed the ₹600 crore figure as exaggerated.
“There is a myth that a ₹100 crore loss becomes ₹1,000 crore. The total loss stands at ₹209 crore,” Dar clarified.
He highlighted that Kashmir produces around 23 lakh metric tonnes of fruit annually, out of which 1.75 lakh metric tonnes had been dispatched before the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed, while 22,000 metric tonnes were stuck in transit.
On crop insurance, the minister said that the tendering process is underway to finalize an insurer under the Re-structured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), which covers apple, saffron, mango, and litchi crops.
“The tendering process for the selection of the insurance company from the Government of India’s empanelled list is in progress,” Dar stated in a written reply.
He also addressed concerns regarding cold storage infrastructure, noting that Jammu and Kashmir currently has 2.92 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage capacity against the required 6 LMT. The department plans to expand capacity over the next five years to meet growing demand.
Efforts are also being made to encourage youth to invest in post-harvest management and cold chain ventures. “Seminars and awareness drives are being held in each district to highlight incentives for establishing cold storage and related infrastructure,” he added.
The minister further informed that two fruit and vegetable markets — Prichoo in Pulwama and Pachhar in Rajpora — are operational, with ₹1.28 crore and ₹3.68 crore allocated respectively for their upgradation under NABARD for 2025–26.
The government, Dar said, is also working on setting up sector-specific industrial estates for horticulture in other districts to strengthen the value chain and improve farmers’ income.
