From Rs 20,000 to Rs 25 lakh, pear transforms fruit growers in J&K

Bharova, Khalo and Shanatra villages in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhaderwah, which were once considered poverty-stricken due to recurring drought, have made a mark in the horticulture sector by growing exotic Italian pears with a yearly production of about 1.5 metric tonnes.

Unlike other places in the hilly Chenab valley region where farmers consider growing fruits as a subsidiary activity and instead prefer maize, paddy and fodder for cattle, horticulture has emerged as a viable livelihood option for farmers who treated it at par with farming.

The seeds of positive growth were sown when Haji Mohd Shafi Sheikh (74) of village