There is a quiet agricultural revolution taking place across Kashmir. Drive through villages and towns during the growing season and one keen observer can see a remarkable transformation. Traditional apple orchards are increasingly giving way to high-density plantations. Trees are smaller, planted closer together and managed more intensively. The objective is clear: more trees per unit of land, earlier production, better returns and greater productivity. For an apple grower struggling with rising costs and limited land, the attraction is understandable.

But another change deserves our attention. In many places, the high-density apple orchard is no longer confined to agricultural land. The courtyard, the backyard and even the small open space immediately surrounding a house are increasingly being converted into orchards. Spaces that once served as children’s play areas, places for sitting in the evening, drying clothes, keeping livestock or simply enjoying fresh air are becoming productive agricultural units. This raises an uncomfortable question, are we modernising apple farming faster than we are modernising our understanding of the health risks........

© Greater Kashmir