A New Chapter in Kashmir's Horticultural Success Story   SEHREENA MAQBOOL The maiden export of premium Areko cherries and Scentrose plums from Jammu & Kashmir to the UAE marks a quiet but significant shift in India’s horticulture landscape—where Kashmir’s orchards are steadily finding space in premium global retail chains, driven by scientific farming, better logistics, and sustained institutional support. From Valley Orchards to Global Shelves On a crisp summer morning in the orchards of Shopian and Pulwama, rows of cherry and plum trees glisten under the Himalayan sun. For generations, these fruits have been part of Kashmir’s agricultural identity—harvested, packed, and sold in nearby mandis or transported to metropolitan markets across India.