In the remote Gurez valley of Indian-administered Kashmir, families have long used underground storage pits called khraws to preserve potatoes through harsh winters when heavy snow isolates mountain villages. The practice has sustained local communities for generations, allowing them to store crops and save seeds for spring planting. However, the traditional method is rapidly declining as improved road infrastructure, outmigration of young people, and easier access to commercial markets reduce the need for families to maintain their own storage systems.
The disappearance of khraws threatens a broader agricultural loss: the genetic diversity of indigenous potato varieties uniquely adapted to the region’s high-altitude climate and growing conditions. According to research by India’s National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, potatoes account for approximately 45% of cultivated land in Gurez, yet many local varieties have never been systematically documented or studied. Scientists visiting the region have observed dramatic declines in variety availability, with some strains becoming nearly impossible to locate in recent years. The local Dard-Shin community, an Indigenous population with distinct cultural and linguistic traditions, holds accumulated knowledge about which varieties store well, resist disease, and produce reliable harvests—knowledge at risk of disappearing if not passed to younger generations.
Multiple pressures are accelerating the decline. Climate-related changes including drier springs, reduced snowfall, and water shortages have made traditional agriculture more difficult. Farmers also report decreased potato yields, reducing incentives to maintain household cultivation. Additionally, a hydroelectric project has affected some of the valley’s limited cultivable land through land acquisition and submergence, including areas historically known for potato production.
Experts warn that indigenous varieties may possess valuable characteristics, such as cold tolerance and pest resistance, that remain poorly understood but could prove invaluable for agricultural adaptation to changing climate conditions. One proposed preservation approach involves pursuing geographical indication status, a UN-recognized designation that can enhance market value and recognition of regionally distinctive products. However, scientists emphasize that recognition alone will not preserve the varieties or the knowledge surrounding them. Documentation and study must occur while these crops are still being actively cultivated to prevent their permanent loss before their full potential can be assessed or preserved.
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