The announcement by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on Sunday to support the high-value nut crops, including walnut, has brought a fresh wave of optimism for nearly seven lakh people whose livelihoods depend on the struggling walnut trade in Jammu and Kashmir.
The walnut trade of Jammu and Kashmir contributes over 90 per cent of the crop output, but those associated with the trade had been appealing to authorities as it had become increasingly burdensome to sustain.
For farmers like Mohammad Shafi, president of the Walnut Growers Association, the “old ways” were becoming a dead end. Traditional Kashmiri walnut trees are massive, making the harvest a dangerous climb and the yield unpredictable.
“The current trees pose real risks to our farmers,” Shafi explained. “But it’s not just the height; it’s the heart of the nut. Traditional varieties have shells so hard they often crush the kernel inside during extraction.” Meanwhile, sleeker, soft-shelled walnuts from California and Chile have been “cracking” the Indian market, leaving local growers in the shadows.