Archives of Current Research International

This study examined the constraints faced by wild pomegranate growers, the additional income obtained from its cultivation, and the principal operations undertaken by growers. Data were collected from 50 growers in five villages of Batote and Gandhri blocks in Ramban District through a structured interview schedule administered during face-to-face interactions and telephone calls. The major constraints reported by respondents were lack of knowledge regarding insect-pest and disease control (94%), lack of knowledge regarding training and pruning (92%), lack of knowledge regarding value addition and processing of fruit and rind (86%), excessive flower drop (86%), drying of trees due to inadequate rainfall (74%), low price of rind (72%), cracking of fruit skin (68%), high harvesting and labour costs (64%), and insufficient institutional support (64%). In addition, 44% of the growers identified the exclusion of horticultural crops from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in Ramban District as a constraint. The findings further showed that 56% of respondents earned up to ₹50,000 annually as additional income from wild pomegranate, whereas 14% earned more than ₹100,000. Regarding operations, 68% of growers harvested the fruit themselves, 56% extracted the arils without hired labour, and 74% marketed the produce independently. The findings indicate that wild pomegranate cultivation supplements household income, although production, processing, marketing, and institutional constraints limit its potential.