Walnut cultivation in Kashmir Valley, India: An economic & profitability assessment

Abstract

Abstract Jammu and Kashmir is the largest producer of walnuts in India and it acts as an important source of livelihood for a large section of farmers. The present study aims to measure the profitability and economic efficiency of walnut orchards and subsequently explore constraints hindering walnut cultivation in the Valley of Kashmir, India. It relies on cross-sectional database collected from 240 walnut growers in the study area during the 2018-19 production period. Results reveal that walnut cultivation is highly labour-intensive as it incurs 80% of total production costs. The cost-benefit ratio of 1:5.35/ha indicates better economic prospects for the walnut industry in Kashmir Valley. The regression coefficients of production analysis and marginal value product and marginal factor cost (MVP/MFC) ratio indicate that there is ample scope for the expansion of walnut cultivation in the research area. However, walnut growers are confronted by several problems that more or less tend to be location specific. The study calls for policy intervention concerning better extension services, greater access to credit and farmer training programs to boost walnut production in the study region.