Srinagar: Freight charges for apple consignments in Kashmir have tripled from Rs 100 to over Rs 350 per box, even as market rates for apples have crashed by nearly half due to non-transportation on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway.
This has prompted desperate growers to demand unhindered movement of fruit trucks and urgent government intervention to save the industry.
The growers, speaking to KNO said transporters have hiked charges per box from Rs 100 earlier to Rs 300–350, citing the closure of the national highway and diversion through the longer, hilly Mughal Road.
“On one side, our apples are not reaching markets, and on the other, transport costs have tripled”, said Faisal War, one of the transport in-charge at Sopore’s Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi. Tantry Tajamul, a seasoned grower from Sopore, said, “The market has also collapsed due to the glut. Delicious apples, which fetched Rs 1,000–1,300 per box earlier, are now selling for just Rs 500–800. American apples, which were usually exported to Bangladesh, are lying idle in mandis, and much of it is rotting.”
Low shelf-life varieties such as Galla and Kiser have been hit hardest, with growers estimating that their shelf life has been reduced by half due to chemical ripening and prolonged storage. Reyaz Ahmed, a grower from Rafiabad, said poor packaging is worsening the crisis.
“The silicon-coated cardboard boxes trap heat when stacked for days, accelerating ripening and spoilage. That is why so much of our produce is getting ruined before it even leaves the valley,” he explained. The losses are mounting by the day.
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union has already estimated losses at over Rs 1,200 crore, but growers at Sopore mandi fear the damage could be far worse. “The loss is going to touch around Rs 5,000 crore, as nearly four lakh apple boxes are lying here in Sopore mandi due to non-transportation.
It could be the biggest loss the industry has ever faced,” the growers at Sopore Mandi said, appealing to the government for urgent intervention. “Let them ensure unhindered movement along the national highway,” the growers added. “We feel everyone is responsible for the crisis, be it the LG administration, local government, or even the associations”.
They said the blockade has also forced many orchardists to halt harvesting, as there is no transport available to lift the produce. The growers and traders earlier accused the government of destroying the apple economy by restricting heavy vehicles and failing to manage traffic.
“If immediate measures are not taken, lakhs of metric tons of apples will rot and the industry will collapse,” said the protesting fruit growers at Shopian mandi. With the apple season at its peak, growers fear the crisis could push many orchardists into bankruptcy if the authorities don’t intervene urgently. (KNO)