Srinagar, Sep 01 (KNO): With the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway blocked for nearly a week, Kashmir’s fruit industry is staring at massive financial losses, with growers warning of losses running into hundreds of crores as truckloads of Bagogoshapears and Gala apples rot on the road.
Though the highway was partially opened on Monday to clear stranded vehicles, the damage to the valley’s perishable fruit consignments, according to the association, is already extensive, leaving growers and traders deeply worried.
Asia’s second-largest Fruit Mandi at Sopore wore a gloomy look on Monday, as growers and traders expressed deep concern over the crisis. Although the mandi remained open, trade has come to a virtual standstill, with only a few six-tyre vehicles being loaded compared to the usual 100-plus trucks.
“We are in a situation where the industry may face losses of around Rs 200 crore if the movement of trucks does not go smoothly,” president of Sopore Fruit Mandi, Fayaz Ahmed Malik @ Kaka Ji, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). He added that the situation mirrors the crisis of 2022, when prolonged highway disruptions had devastated the sector.
Meanwhile, growers lamented the steep decline in rates, citing the example of the American apple variety, which earlier fetched Rs 600 per box but is now being sold for only Rs 400–450. “If a truck worth Rs 15 lakh reaches the market, we would barely recover a lakh or two because of the damage,” a group of anxious growers told KNO.
It is noteworthy that the authorities, however, allowed partial movement of traffic on Monday, clearing stranded vehicles from Qazigund towards Jammu in a phased manner.
Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, confirmed the development but admitted that, by the time clearance was given, significant damage had already occurred. “The Bagogosha and Gala apples have suffered extensive losses,” he said, though refraining from giving an exact figure.
While the government recently permitted six-tyre fruit trucks to ply via the Mughal Road, merchants said this is insufficient. “The scale of transportation needed cannot be met with limited movement. Priority should be given to all fruit trucks so that losses can be minimised,” the mandi affiliates demanded.
It is pertinent to mention that the Sopore mandi president has urged growers not to rush harvesting, advising them to wait until the highway is fully restored or to store produce in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores.
“We are continuously in touch with the authorities. Our appeal to growers is not to panic. Once the route reopens, markets will stabilise gradually,” the association stated.
Meanwhile, growers reiterated their call for urgent intervention from the government to safeguard Kashmir’s vital fruit economy, warning that continued inaction could devastate thousands of families dependent on the sector—(KNO)