Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, (DD):The much-anticipated paddy transplanting season began across Kashmir this week, as scores of farmers took to their fields singing age-old folk melodies and leaning on one another’s shoulders—both literally and figuratively—to brace for another year of rice cultivation.
“Today, we planted the first batch of saplings in my family’s three-acre field,” said Mohammad Yasin, a third-generation farmer from Pulwama. “My children and I started at dawn. Even though the sun was fierce, the women’s songs made the work lighter. It reminded me of my grandmother.”
Across the valley, irrigation canals brimmed with water carried down from melting snows in the Himalayas, supplying the lifeblood that Kashmir’s famed rice paddies require. However, not all farmers are optimistic. An unprecedented dry spell has reduced water flow in the lower reaches of some canal networks.
“Fields at the tail end of the canal have not received adequate water,” explained Aijaz Ahmad, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture, Jammu & Kashmir. “We’re advising those farmers to diversify into maize, pulses or millets this year. Rice is water-intensive, and we simply cannot risk crippling our agriculture sector.”
In Bandipora, the return of wild boars—absent from these parts for over a decade—has compounded anxieties. Boar troops have torn through several newly transplanted nurseries, forcing some growers to erect makeshift fencing around their plots.
“Last night, a herd uprooted half my paddy bed,” lamented Parveen Bano, who tends two nurseries near Wadoora. “If the authorities don’t intervene, we’ll lose our entire yield before it even begins.”
Despite these setbacks, the communal spirit that defines Kashmir’s paddy season remains undimmed. Villagers gather to transplant in groups, ensuring no field is left unattended and every farmer’s back is supported.
“Transplanting rice is hard work, but it brings us together,” said Ruksana, who joined her neighbors at Bani Gulmarg. “We sing Lullabies and harvest songs as we plant. It’s our way of honoring our land and our heritage.”
For many, the paddy season is more than agriculture—it’s a living tradition. As fields turn emerald green over the coming weeks, Kashmir’s farmers will be watching the skies and their canals, hoping for both plentiful water and protection from wildlife, so that once again this valley will yield its bountiful grain.(DD)