Opinion | The year of Firsts : From neglect to development

On a chilly spring morning in Kokernag, water rushes through neat concrete raceways, each glinting with flashes of silver as trout push against the current. A few hills away, the hum of bees rises from freshly painted wooden hives in Bijbehara. It’s not just scenic, it’s the sound of Anantnag’s rural economy shifting gears.

In the past year, the district has seen a wave of first-time government initiatives, in farming, roads, health, and infrastructure, that locals say are changing daily life.

For the first time in Jammu & Kashmir, trout farmers have their own formal cooperative, the Glacial Trout Farmer Producer Organisation. Backed by NABARD, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and the J&K Fisheries Department, and implemented by the Human Welfare Foundation, the FPO has brought together over 100 farmers from Kokernag, Aishmuqam, and other aquaculture belts.

“It’s not just about selling fish anymore,” says Altaf Ahmad, a Kokernag farmer. “We’re thinking about branding, quality, and bulk contracts. Earlier, we sold whatever we could, whenever we could. Now we aim for hotels, markets, even exports.”

The group pools resources for feed and seed, trains members in disease management, and is setting up cold-chain links so their “Kashmir Glacial Trout” brand can reach bigger buyers. Export is the goal — possibly by late 2025–26.

Honey production scales up

Meanwhile, Anantnag’s beekeepers have been given a major boost under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). This year, 346 beekeepers were registered and supplied with 25,645 bee colonies, modern hives, and marketing help.

The result: 5,001 quintals of honey in 2024–25 — the highest the district has ever recorded. About 10% of producers are first-time tribal women beekeepers. “Before, our honey stayed in the village. Now it goes to cities, even online,” says Zareena from Shangus.

HADP’s cluster approach lets small producers share extraction machines and transport. Honey is now packaged and branded for Ayurveda, organic stores, and online sales.

Science at the farm’s doorstep

This year also brought Anantnag its first Soil & Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratory, announced in February under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. With a ₹1.5 crore budget, the lab will test soil health, detect fertilizer adulteration, and give farmers digital soil health cards. Construction is set to begin before December 2025, with mobile vans planned to collect samples from remote villages.

Old trout farm, new tech

Kokernag’s historic trout farm — the oldest in South Kashmir — is getting a ₹20 lakh upgrade under HADP’s aquaculture division. New raceways, water recirculation systems, and oxygen diffusers are being installed, with cold storage on the way. The changes are expected to raise seed production by 40% and supply the Glacial Trout FPO directly, while creating jobs for local youth.

Roads where there were none

For some villages, the real change came under their feet. Between March and May 2025, stretches like the Hiller–Arhama road and the Dandipora–Aung–Sallar link were blacktopped for the first time under PMGSY-III.

Until now, these routes were muddy in the rains and dusty in summer. Ambulance travel time is down by 60%, and over 200 students now have a reliable way to reach high school. The roads have also opened steady market access for apples, trout, and honey.

Health checks on wheels

In January, mobile NCD screening vans began rounds in Bijbehara, Mattan, Qazigund, and Shangus. Staffed with a doctor, nurse, and technician, these vans screen rural residents for hypertension, diabetes, and cancers.

By July, over 3,000 people had been checked, with 125 referred for further treatment at District Hospital Anantnag. Weekly visits are planned for every panchayat in the coming months.

Individually, each of these projects is significant. Together, they form something bigger: a web of support where agriculture, infrastructure, and health feed into each other. Trout farmers need cold chains; beekeepers need roads; both benefit from better soil testing. Healthier people can work better in every sector.

“It feels like we are finally catching up,” says Ghulam Nabi, a shopkeeper in Larnoo. “The road is new, the honey is selling, the fish farmers are busy. Life is moving faster.”

If the momentum continues, Anantnag’s “year of firsts” could be remembered as the moment the district stopped waiting for change — and started building it, stream by stream, hive by hive.

Writer can be reached at laibaakhan485@gmail.com