Connect with us

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Less takers for J&K Govt’s ‘apple deal’ in Kashmir’s Shopian, Pulwama |KNO

No buzz in traditional mandis of south Kashmir, say growers, Officials say 20,000 metric tons of fruit procured in two weeks

Published

on

kno news

Pulwama, Sep 25 (KNO): There is very less response from the apple growers of south kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian district to the J&K government’s offer for procuring the apple boxes through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) announced recently. According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), initially, some growers had registered for the NAFED scheme after it was announced on September 11, 2019, but the move remained confined to mere registration process only. To substantiate their claim, the apple growers in these twin district stated that NAFED could procure only a few thousand apple boxes in past two weeks. According to apple growers, there is no buzz for the first time in the traditional fruit mandis of Arhama- Shopian, Prichoo and Pachhaar in Pulwama, and Shopian at this time of the year. While the growers here say the sale was not the challenge, however, plucking, processing, grading, packaging and transportation to the designated places for sale remains a challenge due to the prevailing situation in Kashmir. The apple growers here believe that the harvest of this cash crop was dragged deliberately to project the normalcy in current uncertainties; however, other agricultural activities have been going on normally. “Everyone is suffering losses in Kashmir during these days, but the worst hit is apple grower,” Shabir Ahmad, a fruit grower from Pulwama, adding, the growers here have not plucked a single variety of apples in the area, as the fruit Mandis remained shut this season so far. There is complete silence in the entire area. Many other growers echoed similar statements. “The government’s scheme seems to be a non-starter. We are not much interested in this scheme,” said Aijaz Ahmed, another fruit grower from Prichoo area of Pulwama. The prevailing situation in Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 and 35A by centre on August 5 has put life on halt and the apple growers have also decided not to pluck apple crop in the wake of revocation of special status. Meanwhile, in these tough times, majority of the fruit growers are clueless about the future strategy in absence of leadership in the prevailing situation in Kashmir. As growers seem less interested in the government’s scheme, the official figures suggest that 20,000 metric tons of fruit have been procured under NAFED scheme in last two weeks.

Trending

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

CEO issues guidelines for Printers, Publishers of J&K | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

General Elections-2024 | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Patients suffer as Nagbal Yousmarg PHC operates from rented building | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Meet Abdul Gaffar Kanihami, the man preserving Kashmiri folk music legacy for decades | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Entire JK lives in Jammu, city deserves quality infrastructure: Ghulam Nabi Azad | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Baramulla admin geared up for free & fair elections: DEO Sherpa | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Ramadan sees surge in street begging across Srinagar, elsewhere | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Young Kulgam writer authors three books, delves into Einstein's Theory of Relativity | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Have collaborated with J&K Police to eradicate drug menace: CCIK | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Jammu and Kashmir Government to Fill Over 12,000 Vacancies to Tackle Unemployment | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Teacher rationalization: | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

Centre sets-up tribunals to decide on ban on Muslim Conference factions | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

J&K admin sabotaging assembly elections, ruling like ‘uncrowned kings’: Omar Abdullah | KNO

TOP STORIES18 hours ago

In 5 years, MHA bans 9 separatist groups in J&K | KNO

TOP STORIES1 days ago

CRPF Sgr Sector wraps up inter-operational battalion tournament with spectacular finale | KNO

TOP STORIES1 days ago

In touch with Centre for more security forces, will ensure optimum utilisation of all forces in LS Polls: DGP Swain | KNO

TOP STORIES2 days ago

BJP will win 400 seats in LS elections: Tarun Chugh | KNO

Copyright © 2021