Kashmir apple farmers suffer ₹1,000cr loss due to highway closure
What's the story
Kashmir's fruit growers are facing a major crisis as the Srinagar-Jammu national highway remains shut for heavy vehicles. The highway transports Kashmir's annual apple yield of 20-25 lakh metric tons to markets across India. The closure has left thousands of truckloads of apples and pears stranded, causing over ₹1,000 crore in losses. The highway was damaged by heavy rainfall on August 25, and while light vehicles have been allowed recently, trucks remain banned due to bad road conditions.
Economic impact
30 lakh apple boxes may have decayed
According to the New Indian Express, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union, said 2,000-3,000 trucks are stuck on the highway. "Since these are perishable items, much of the fruit would have rotted by now. Trucks have been stranded for nearly 20 days," he said. "Each truck carries 700-1200 apple boxes valued between ₹10-15 lakhs. We fear that 30 lakh apple boxes may have decayed due to prolonged closure."
Mandi woes
Apple grower's despair
Fayaz Ahmad Malik, president of Fruit Mandi Sopore, said normally 200-300 apple trucks leave daily from Sopore. "Now, not only are our trucks stuck on the highway, but many remain loaded in the mandi itself," he added. Javed Ahmed, another apple grower, expressed despair over their produce rotting in various locations. "We pour our souls into these orchards and are now watching the apples rot helplessly," he said.
Criticism
'Government must use modern machinery to restore highway'
Javed stated that, while Railways has introduced parcel service, it can only convey a fraction of the goods, and that "we are still dependent on highways for fruit transportation." Expressing frustration over the continued closure of the highway, Mohammad Ashraf, president of the Shopian Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, stated that it is shameful that the highway has been closed for so long even in this day and age of superior technology.
Protest action
Use modern machinery or military assistance for restoration: Growers
"The government must use modern machinery to restore the highway and, if necessary, hand over the highway to the army for restoration," Ashraf said. In protest against the situation, all fruit mandis in Kashmir will remain shut for two days from Sunday. "This is not politics. It's survival. When apples can't reach markets, the entire economy bleeds....highway restoration is the only way to safeguard Kashmir's lifeline," National Conference MLA Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri said.