After apples, strawberries galore in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 23 (ANI): The Kashmir Valley, famous for its apples, is fast emerging as the country's largest producer of strawberries. This year too, farmers here are expecting a rich produce due to conducive weather and timely rainfall.

The relatively new concept of strawberry farming has become quite popular among traditional paddy farmers in the valley since they are able to reap huge profits as compared to rice.

Shahid Ahmed, a strawberry farmer, told reporters that cultivators in the state are optimistic about earning a good amount of money by selling strawberries.

"This year, the weather was very conducive and we had adequate rainfall at the appropriate time. We expect good production this time and we would be able to generate good income out of it," Ahmed said.

The state Horticulture Department is providing assistance to farmers to ensure better production of strawberries.

"This year, we have high hopes for good production and we expect that we would be able to generate around 700 to 800 metric tonnes of fruit," said Manzoor Ahmed, a horticulture officer.

The farmers have expanded production, cultivating as many as eleven imported varieties of the fruit.

Strawberries from the Kashmir Valley are supplied to states in north India, including New Delhi. (ANI)