1School of Agricultural Economics and Horti-Business ManagementSKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar-190 025, Jammu and Kashmir
2Division of Agricultural Economics and Statistics, Faculty of Agriculture, SKUAST-K, Wadura Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir
3Faculty of Forestry, Benhama, Ganderbal-191201, Jammu and Kashmir
*e-mail: mmudassir0808@gmail.com
Online Published on 15 January, 2022.
Present study was carried out in four blocks of district Ganderbal viz., Ganderbal, Sherpathri, Lar and Kangan of the Kashmir valley owing to the majority of wicker willow cultivators and handicraft makers in these blocks. A total number of 120 respondents i.e. wicker willow cultivators and handicraft makers were selected for the study. Three main varieties of wicker willow species were observed in the study area i.e. Salix dickymat, Salix triandra and Salix viminalis, with Salix dickymat being the most prominent among the three as almost 53.33% of the respondents were cultivating this specie followed by Salix triandra and Salix viminalis. The study found that the major portion of household income of wicker willow cultivators was derived from agriculture (29.30%), followed by wicker willow (19.86%) and the least from other allied services (5.83%). The wicker willow products crafted out of value addition has a great demand and can be further diversified and scaled-up with focus on tourists as well as high end products.
Agriculture, Allied services, Handicraft, Household income, Wicker willow
