How a Kishtwar Ex-Serviceman Built a Walnut Nursery Business

A former Indian Army serviceman from Kishtwar has turned his interest in walnut cultivation into a nursery business supplying planting material to farmers across several Himalayan states. Suneel Singh, from Gundarna in Kishtwar district, started the venture after seeking technical guidance from ICAR-CITH Srinagar on improved walnut varieties and nursery management.

Singh served in the Indian Army from 2004 to 2021. After leaving the service, he developed an interest in horticulture and chose walnut because the crop suits the temperate conditions of his home region. He approached the ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture in Srinagar to learn modern walnut propagation techniques.

From Walnut Farming To Nursery Business

Instead of limiting his work to growing walnut trees for fruit, Singh focused on producing planting material. Over the past three years, he raised about 70,000 walnut seedling rootstocks and produced around 25,000 grafted and budded plants. He also developed his own cluster-bearing selection, named SS-1.

Producing quality planting material can create a different business opportunity from conventional orchard farming. Farmers need healthy plants when establishing new orchards, but poor-quality or unsuitable planting material can affect orchard performance for years. A reliable nursery can therefore serve farmers while creating another horticultural enterprise.

Singh now manages two hectares of mother blocks and one hectare of nursery land. Both areas have assured irrigation and suitable access. His nursery has also received accreditation from the State Horticulture Department and the National Horticulture Board, giving the enterprise formal recognition for producing planting material.

His nursery has supplied walnut plants to farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. ICAR says the planting material supplied through the enterprise has supported new walnut plantations covering more than 150 hectares across these regions.

The business also shows why nursery management needs technical knowledge. Walnut propagation is not simply a matter of planting seeds. Grafting and budding require suitable rootstocks, scion material, timing, aftercare and careful handling. Training can help farmers develop these skills before they begin producing plants commercially.

Why Grafted Walnut Plants Matter

Walnut growers increasingly need planting material that can help establish productive orchards. Grafted and budded plants can preserve desirable characteristics from selected parent plants. Farmers looking to establish orchards therefore need to consider variety, planting material quality, site conditions and long-term orchard management before buying plants.

Singh has also developed a selection called SS-1, described by ICAR as a cluster-bearing walnut selection. He has submitted it for protection through the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority. Formal protection can help establish recognition for farmer-developed plant material and its characteristics.

His work extends beyond nursery production. Singh established a community-driven lift irrigation system from the Sigdi Chatroo River to secure water for his enterprise. Reliable irrigation is important for nursery plants because young rootstocks and grafted plants require careful moisture management during establishment.

The irrigation project also shows how access to water can affect horticultural enterprises in mountainous areas. Farmers may have suitable land but struggle to maintain nurseries or orchards without dependable water. Local solutions can help, but they need proper planning, permissions and maintenance to remain useful over time.

What Farmers Can Learn

Singh’s experience offers a lesson for farmers who want to move beyond traditional orchard production. A farmer does not always need to sell only the final crop. Planting material, nursery production, processing and other services can create additional businesses around agriculture when farmers have the required skills and market access.

Training was an important part of Singh’s transition. He approached ICAR-CITH Srinagar before expanding his walnut work and learned about improved varieties and propagation. Farmers interested in nursery businesses can similarly approach horticulture departments, ICAR institutes, agricultural universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras for technical guidance.

The location also matters. Walnut performs best under suitable climatic conditions, and nursery businesses need access to land, water, labour and markets. Farmers should not assume that a successful nursery model in one region will work in exactly the same way elsewhere.

For Jammu and Kashmir, the example has particular relevance because walnut remains an important horticultural crop in several districts. Better planting material can support orchard expansion and replacement of older trees, but farmers need varieties suited to their elevation, climate, soil and market requirements.

Climate conditions are also becoming important for horticulture. Changes in temperature, rainfall patterns and winter conditions can affect perennial crops such as walnut. Farmers establishing orchards need to consider local climate trends and choose planting material and management practices with guidance from horticulture experts.

Singh’s nursery shows how technical knowledge can turn a personal interest into a specialised agricultural enterprise. His work now connects nursery production with farmers in several states, while his community irrigation effort addresses one of the basic requirements for maintaining the business.

For farmers considering a similar business, the first step is not buying plants or building a nursery. It is identifying demand. Which varieties do local farmers need? How many plants can they buy? Is there enough water? Can you produce healthy planting material consistently? These questions determine whether the enterprise can work.

Singh’s journey also shows that agricultural entrepreneurship can begin after a career outside farming. With technical training, suitable land, irrigation and market demand, farmers and rural entrepreneurs can develop specialised businesses around horticulture rather than depending only on seasonal crop sales.