Srinagar, Sept. 1 -- Jammu and Kashmir's horticulture sector may have expanded dramatically over the past four decades, but two of its important fruit crops are now showing worrying trends, with apple productivity declining and almond cultivation shrinking by around 10,000 hectares, a NITI Aayog report has highlighted.

The findings form part of the "Roadmap for Horticulture Development in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir @ 2047," which examines the long-term growth of the sector and identifies emerging challenges that could affect its sustainability.

The report shows that the area under fruit cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir increased from 1.31 lakh hectares in 1980 to 3.44 lakh hectares in 2022. Fruit production also surged from 5.6 lakh to...