Jammu, Aug. 9 -- Taking a leaf out of the Kangra tea gardens in Himachal Pradesh's Palampur, the agriculture department of Jammu and Kashmir has initiated a tea plantation drive in the hilly Billawar tehsil of Kathua district.

The initiative is being seen as a landmark step towards diversification from the maize-wheat cycle as the region's temperate climate and altitude of 5,000 feet is suitable for the cash crop.

"The region's climate and soil conditions, particularly across the Shivalik range, are akin to Palampur for tea cultivation. More than 20,000 tea saplings have been sourced from Palampur and planted in Billawar by over 500 farmers. Though we have done it on an experimental basis, we are confident of fruitful results. The crop ...