After redefining the traditional farming styles of orchardists, he is out to change the way we plant trees. Syed Asma visits Khuram Mir’s model high density apple orchard in south Kashmir to see how trees will be more about fruits than just deadwood
Mir, 34, born in Shopian, is a US return entrepreneur. Giving new direction to his father’s farming practices; Mir aspires to be an agent of change in the horticulture sector in Kashmir.
His latest investment in the sector is a high density apple orchid. Located in Bamdora, in the interiors of Kokernag, Islamabad, it is spread over 42 kanals of land.
The orchid demonstrates a new system of apple plantations. The Italian imported saplings and the way they are planted reduces the gestation period and improves the quality of the fruit. Reason: sapling gets the sunlight from all directions ripening the apples uniformly. The new system rejects the canopy style growth as is seen in traditional orchards.
This model of new style plantation is adopted after studying horticultural practices of different countries, particularly where the land holding is less and expensive. The model which Mir has adopted is mostly implemented in Italy and Netherland.
“Though most of the research is based in United States but the small places know how to take maximum from their land in the most optimal and sustainable way,” says Khuram Mir.
Mir while improving the horticulture sector has adopted reverse engineering, he says.
After returning to Kashmir with a degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Purdue University, United States, Mir first invested to improve the post harvesting practices in the sector. Investing in 10,000-ton [5 lakh crates] Controlled Atmosphere Storage [CAS] facility in Lassipora, Pulwama, Mir wanted to facilitate the farmer and help them to reduce the losses. Besides, the CAS facility added value to the product and helped farmer to figure-out issues which hindered their growth. “We established a platform where the farmer apart from storing his product, could add values to it and sell it at a higher price,” believes Mir.
While working on it, he identified two problems at pre-harvesting level. One, the yield per hectare in Kashmir is too less and the quality of the produce is too low. The production [at the orchid level] in Kashmir is 11-12 ton per hectare (a truck and a half) but in Europe it is at least 8-10 metric tons making it 7-8 times more.
Talking about the quality of fruit, in south Kashmir only 35 percent of the total production is tagged as ‘Grade-A’ as against to that of 90 percent in Europe.
These problems triggered Mir to research and work on addressing these issues.
He first assembled a team of scientists and Abdul Ahad Sofi, a former director at Central Institute of Temperate who in the past headed the department of pomology at SKUAST-K, was chosen as the head of the team.
It has been three years since then and the team is still working.
The team visited many placed across globe and studied different rootstocks and varieties. The group of scientists short listed a few of them. “In the end, they chose M-9 variety but we are negotiating with a team in New York over a better disease resistant variety,” says Mir.
The aim for adopting any variety was to encourage the plantation of plants with more fruits and less wood; and which will have a robust growth.
Besides, what makes it better is that it increases per hectare yield as well. These saplings are placed at 0.8 metres from one another accommodating almost 200 plants in a kanal increasing the production by 5 times.
Mir believes, if the model is properly adopted the 3000 crore economy in apples will jump to Rs 15000 crores and if the quotient of quality is multiplied to it, the economy has a potential to jump to Rs 50,000 in the coming years.
Mir spent Rs 2 lakh per kanal for establishing this model orchid. The land belongs to a group of orchardists who have clubbed-in to try out this experiment and Mir is leading the team. “Honestly, I don’t have such huge capital to invest, so I joined hands with others and optimal use of my expertise,” admits Mir.
The team working under Mir says they have studied both domestic as well as international markets to choose the apple varieties. Presently, eight apple varieties and a pear variety are found in the orchid, including red block, gala red lum, fuji, granny smith, etc.
Mir believes if everything works as per plan Kashmir’s apple can give a tough fight to that of Europe and America. He is targeting domestic market and as well as markets in Dubai.
“Domestic market is easy to cater as the imported fruit have to pay heavy duty on it.”
While explaining it further, “my produce can reach Dubai in 7 days while that from Europe can take 40 days. So, we can explore that option as well.”
A rough and bumpy road guarded by traditional apple orchids leads to the 15 month old apple orchid. The ambience and the aura of the place make you forget everything!
The orchid is surrounded by giant mountains and huge trees. The imported Apple saplings are neatly arranged in vertical and horizontal rows covered by anti-hail nets. There is a decently decorated mud house, next to which is an open classroom, where a group of scientists working with Mir, teach farmers and make them understand the basics of technology or schemes to be adopted for better results. Besides, there exist separate seating arrangements having a table made of roughly cut wood planks and logs of wood as chairs.
Besides, he is planning to sensitise young entrepreneurs who own some land and can adopt this model. “I don’t want people to sell-off their land, instead find means and ways to get the maximum out of it,” urges Mir.
Root2Fruit has established a nursery which further propagates these saplings and are ready to help interested orchardists. And they also provide consultations and a facility where a farmer can lease out his piece of land to them for 8 years.
So far at least requisition of adopting the model in 600 kanals has reached them, which they say is satisfactory.
“I just want people to adopt this model because it will help them to earn fast and good. So I am finding means and ways to encourage them,” says Mir. He adds, he does not want to do it all alone but want others to join.
Apart from increasing the yield and the quality, these model saplings ask for little spray of pesticide as trees do not branch out like traditional trees. And they in a year or two will be using organic fertilizers, says Sidiq. “We have established a vermicomposting unit and will be using that manure instead of inorganic fertilizers.”
The project is in inception yet but the young entrepreneur looks contented and says half the job is done, as he has established a model now he will have to work on awareness and let people know about this model set-up.
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