The new varieties of cherry imported from various countries, mainly Italy, are bringing handsome gains to the growers in Kashmir. However, traditional varieties not doing so well. The new varieties cannot compete with traditional varieties regarding crunch, color or nutritional value, but they are less vulnerable to rain and fetch good rates.
A cherry grower from south Kashmir’s Shopian district said traditional varieties often become victims of rain as they get damaged even with low to moderate-intensity of downpours. The traditional varieties are mostly ripening at the same stage thereby failing to maintain the supply and demand chain. A shorter shelf life forces growers to sell them at low prices.
According to growers, the traditional varieties are harvested from mid-June to the first week of July only, but with the new varieties, the season continues for around two months. As the season keeps going for months longer, it provides jobs to both local and non-local manual workers for more days, they said.
According to the official data, Kashmir produces over 1.5 mln tons of cherry.
