Kashmir pushes organic farming amid rising pesticide-linked cancer cases
Kashmir’s dependence on agrochemicals has reached worrying levels, say experts
As concerns mount over pesticide-linked cancer cases in Kashmir, authorities are stepping up efforts to promote organic farming to reduce chemical use in the region’s orchards and farmlands.
Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar said the government has identified 75,000 hectares of land for organic cultivation under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), a five-year initiative aimed at transforming Jammu and Kashmir’s agriculture and allied sectors.
On Monday, speaking at the Food Safety and Health Conclave 2025 in Srinagar, Dar said the government is also converting 20,000 hectares of existing orchards to eco-friendly, low-impact farming methods to promote biodiversity and food safety. “The goal is to protect human health and ensure sustainable agricultural growth,” he said.
The move comes amid growing concern over the excessive use of agrochemicals in the Valley’s apple orchards, which has been linked to surge in cancer cases.
Ballooning cancer cases
During the last budget session, Health Minister Sakina Itoo told the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that more than 64,000 cancer cases have been reported in the Union Territory since 2018. Of them, 50,551 were reported from the Valley.
A 2010 study published in the Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology (IJMPO) found that over 90 per cent (389 out of 432) patients diagnosed with primary malignant brain tumours in Kashmir between 2005 and 2008 were orchard workers, residents living near orchards, or children who frequently played in them.
The research, conducted by studying the data about the patients admitted to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), established a strong correlation between prolonged exposure, spanning 10 to 20 years, to these pesticides and the development of brain tumours.
Experts say Kashmir’s dependence on agrochemicals has reached worrying levels. Over 90 per cent of the 4,080 metric tonnes of pesticides used annually in Jammu and Kashmir are sprayed on apple orchards for pest and disease control. The region ranks fourth in total pesticide consumption nationwide and has the highest per-hectare use, with growers spending nearly 55 per cent of production costs on crop protection.
“Managing diseases and pests remains one of the biggest challenges in organic apple cultivation,” said Dr Tariq Rasool, Associate Professor at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir.
“While certain compounds such as copper, sulphur, and bicarbonate salts are permitted globally for disease control, the yield and appearance of organically grown apples still fall short of those produced through conventional methods.”
Published on November 6, 2025
