Srinagar: While climate change in the Himalayas has weather scientists worried, its spin-off could not only satisfy the palate of a growing number of Mediterranean fruit lovers, but also help in significant foreign exchange savings.
Experiments by the Central Institute of Tropical Horticulture (CITH) in introducing and cultivating fruits like olives and kiwi on the Himalayan slopes have been successful.
This implies that farmers and horticulturists residing in specific mountainous tracts, where the economy is primarily dependent on fruit production, can look up to producing other cash crops.
“Over the years, there has been a general increase in average temperatures in this region. Summers have become hotter and the duration of winters has reduced. This has affected snow patterns and availability of water,” Dr Nazeer Ahmed, Director of the Srinagar-based CITH, said. “This has made the climate conducive for introducing new species like olives.”
At present, the cultivation of olives and kiwi in India - considered exotic fruits - is negligible. While kiwi is grown by some high-end farmers in small orchards in the Himalayas and is now regularly seen in markets, olive is still an entrant in the horticulture field.
A small plantation was started recently as a pilot project in Rajasthan. Some plantations have been done in the Ramban area of Kashmir. The fact that olives have been successfully produced in the Kashmir valley means that they can be grown in a variety of terrain and climatic conditions in India.
The demand for olives as well as olive oil is consistently growing in India. In fact, even some street food vendors now claim that they use olive oil as cooking medium. It is not produced in India and is entirely imported.
CITH began its experiments in cultivating olives by importing various varieties of saplings from the US, Egypt and Italy. Olives need subtropical climate with mild winters and warm, dry summers. Olive trees require sufficient winter chilling to initiate flower development.
According to Dr Ahmed, there is a potential to bring over 1 lakh hectares under olive cultivation in the country. Olive cultivation barely covers a thousand hectares presently.
Olive cultivation would gradually bring down its market price and of its products, he said. “It will cut imports and help save valuable foreign exchange.”
CITH scientists estimate that Kiwi plantations in India cover about 10,000 hectares. The potential for this fruit in the short term is about 1 lakh hectares. “Presently, a single piece of Kiwi costs Rs 25. If the cultivation area increases and the yield is good, the production cost would be about Rs 3-4 apiece and the sale price between Rs 5 and Rs 10 a piece,” Dr Ahmed said.
