Kashmir’s fading potato pits put local crop knowledge at risk

Families in Gurez, in Indian-administered Kashmir, are moving away from traditional underground storage pits as road access improves and younger residents leave for education and work, the Guardian reports. Known as khraws, the straw-lined pits protect vegetables through winters that isolate villages. In Chorwan, farmer Hajra Begum still uses one to preserve potatoes for meals and spring planting, drawing on skills learned from her mother.

Scientist Sheikh M Sultan of India’s National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources says some potato varieties he previously encountered in Gurez have become difficult to find. The valley’s potato diversity has not been systematically documented. Farmers also report reduced snowfall, drier springs and water shortages affecting production, while land acquisition and submergence for the Kishanganga hydroelectric project have affected scarce farmland.

Potatoes occupied about 45% of Gurez’s cultivated area, according to a 2019 study cited by the Guardian. Preserving them involves both planting material and farmers’ knowledge of storage and seed selection. Sultan says indigenous varieties may have useful cold tolerance or pest resistance, but their characteristics remain poorly understood.