Problems and Prospects of Himalayan Farmers and Farming: A Case Study of District Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the fundamental features of the Indian economy. Agriculture along with its allied activities employs near about half of the population of India. The Himalayas form the major mountain ranges of the country and covers the northern and northeastern parts of the country. The Himalayan mountain region covers around 10 states of India including Jammu and Kashmir (J & K). The main source of livelihood of these regions is agriculture but the nature of agriculture is still traditional and is of subsistence type. The productivity is also low and unsatisfactory. This paper is an attempt to highlight some of the main problems faced by the farmers and to analyze prospects for the future growth of Himalayan agriculture. It also focused on analyzing the present status of farmers in the region. This paper is focused on district Kishtwar of J & K, a major Himalayan territory. The paper is based on primary data and a sample of 400 farmers has been taken for the study. The finding of the study shows that farmers in the region are mostly marginal and the area still lacks the irrigation facility. Still, the traditional mode of farming is practiced in the region. It also revealed that illiteracy, lack of information, lack of credit, lack of irrigation facilities, soil erosion, traditional mode of agriculture, etc. are some of the major problems faced by the farmers in the district. The area needs some immediate steps to be taken for the growth of agriculture in a real and much better way.