Srinagar, Sep 24 (KNO): Amid low demand for Kashmiri apples in outside markets and the recent National Highway crisis that disrupted smooth transportation, the cold storage units across the Valley are witnessing an unprecedented rush this year.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), officials and industry insiders said that nearly 50 per cent of cold storage facilities were filled in just 10 days, a process that usually takes almost a month. The remaining space had already been booked months in advance.
Traditionally, apple growers’ start shifting their produce to cold storage units after September 25, but this year, due to declining demand and uncertainty in transportation, half of the storage capacity was already filled before that date. This unusual trend has led to long queues of trucks and load carriers, with some growers waiting for more than 24 hours to unload their produce.
“This year the rush is unimaginable. Normally, it takes weeks before cold stores reach capacity, but this time, within a few days, they are almost full. Vehicles are stranded outside storage facilities and are being asked to wait for their turn,” said Bashir Ahmad, an apple grower from Shopian.
Some growers also complained of being charged higher rates for storing their produce. “We are already facing huge losses due to falling demand and low prices in the outside markets. On top of that, we are being asked to pay extra to get space in cold storage. This is sheer exploitation,” alleged Abdul Rashid, a grower from Pulwama.
However, owners of cold storage units dismissed these allegations, maintaining that the booking process had been completed well in advance and that rates were fixed through signed agreements. “How can we change the rates now? Bookings were made months earlier with proper terms and conditions. We have not revised the charges,” said Mohammad Yousuf, owner of a cold storage facility in Lassipora Industrial Estate, Pulwama.
The owners argued that the issue might be arising from the role of middlemen. “What happens is that a single person books around 5,000 crates and later takes 200–500 crates each from small growers. These people come to us as growers, but in reality, they act as agents and brokers outside. If any genuine grower has a complaint, we are open to addressing it formally,” Yousuf added.
Experts believe the rush is a direct fallout of the falling market demand for Kashmiri apples, which has forced growers to look for storage facilities rather than sending their produce directly outside the Valley. “With highway disruptions and low consumption in mandis, growers see cold storage as their only option to prevent immediate losses. This is why the facilities have been overwhelmed in such a short time,” explained a senior official in the Horticulture Department.
Kashmir has over 2 million metric tonnes of annual apple production and cold storage has emerged as a vital support system in recent years. Yet, the mismatch between demand and capacity continues to push small growers into distress—(KNO)