Srinagar, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is facing critical challenges in its agriculture sector due to land conversion, resource depletion, and the impacts of climate change.

According to a government report cited by Kashmir Media Service, the agriculture sector in IIOJK is under threat from several fronts. The report, which includes a SWOT analysis, discusses the sector’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential opportunities. However, it emphasizes significant weaknesses such as fragmented land holdings, low mechanization levels, and inefficient resource utilization.

The analysis also highlights the dangers of non-existent or underdeveloped agricultural value chains, market instability, and the negative effects of unplanned land use that prioritizes non-agricultural development.

A particularly alarming issue raised by the report is the diminishing and deteriorating condition of natural resources, especially arable land. It notes the trend of arable land being diverted for other uses, and the increasing stresses from both living organisms (biotic) and environmental factors (abiotic), as well as the overarching effects of global climate change.

These findings underscore the increasing vulnerability of the agriculture sector in the region and the pressing need for strategic planning to address these concerns.