Kralpora/Budgam, Jul 15: Kashmir valley this year is witnessing a bumper yield of apricots.
The crop is ready to hit the markets of Kashmir valley. The verdant valley is famous for a number of delicious fruits, like cherry, strawberry, mulberry, plums, apple, pears and apricots that growers are harvesting these days at different places, they are expecting a good turnover as compared to last year.
Due to timely rainfall during this year, both the quality and quantity of apricots have increased and the orchards are full of apricots.
New varieties and techniques provided by Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) have helped to boost apricot yield in Kashmir valley.
For the last several decades, the growers were producing only traditional varieties of apricots, but this year, the production has increased due to new varieties of apricots including irani, afghani, harcot, cith 1and cith 2.
Ghulam Rasool Dar, a fruit dealer, said, apricots would be sent to all over India this year as the yield has been good and the traders are getting good price this time.
Another grower Ghulam Hasan said, apricots are being grown all over Kashmir and the yield has been high this time.
Dr Dinesh Kumar, scientist at the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, said, production has been high this year because of good rainfall. We expect a record yield this year, he added.