Srinagar: Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union president, Bashir Ahmad Basheer on Monday said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha assured them that all fruit laden vehicles on Srinagat-Jammu national highway and the Mughal road will be cleared on priority.

Speaking with KNO, Bashir Ahmad, who met LG Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan, said that he put forward the issue of highway restoration and compensation to the affected growers before the LG.

He said that the LG gave a patient hearing to his demands and assured that fruit laden vehicles will be cleared on priority. “The LG also assured that the national highway will be fully restored by tomorrow.

He also assured that compensation to the affected growers due to highway closure will be looked into as well,” he said. (KNO)

Srinagar: Amid a valley-wide shutdown of fruit mandis due to disruptions on the Srinagar–Jammu national Highway, Minister for Agriculture Production Department and Horticulture, Javid Ahmad Dar, rushed to take stock of the highway situation and explore solutions to ensure the unhindered movement of fruit-laden trucks.

Speaking to KNO, Dar said he is personally assessing the situation and examining what needs to be done to facilitate the smooth movement of apple trucks on the highway.

“I will today hold a meeting with officials in Ramban to discuss the issue and will also travel to Udhampur to evaluate the bottlenecks that have left hundreds of trucks stranded and identify remedies,” he said.

Dar added that he has also spoken to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and IGP Traffic regarding the issue, requesting that one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu be allowed for at least two consecutive days to clear stranded apple trucks.

“I spoke to them about the issue during the function held in Srinagar to inaugurate the parcel train service for ferrying apples from Kashmir to various markets across the country,” he said. (KNO)

Srinagar: Fruit mandis across Kashmir observed a complete shutdown on Monday in protest against the government’s failure to ensure the smooth movement of fruit-laden trucks. Growers warned of a valley-wide strike if the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway is not fully restored within two days.

Emotional scenes unfolded at Asia’s second-largest Fruit Mandi in Sopore, where growers with tearful eyes pleaded for the survival of the industry.

Many orchardists broke down during the protest, lamenting that their year’s hard work was rotting in stranded trucks while the government “watched silently.”

Speaking at the protest, President Fayaz Ahmed Malik, as per KNO, accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of failing the people. “If the CM can’t ensure the passage of fruit trucks, he has no right to sit in office. Resign if you can’t do anything,” he thundered, adding that no MLA had spoken up for the growers.

Growers alleged that while trucks carrying iron and other commodities were being allowed to move, fruit-laden vehicles were deliberately held back.

Warning of an escalation, Malik stated that if the highway is not restored within 48 hours, growers will announce a valley-wide strike that could paralyze economic activity across the region.

It is worth mentioning that mandis across the Valley—including Sopore, Handwara, Shopian, Kulgam, Anantnag, and others—remained shut as part of a two-day shutdown call on September 14 and 15.

Earlier, the fruit growers’ association reported that hundreds of trucks carrying perishable fruit consignments remain stranded on the highway and have not been allowed to proceed to their destinations, resulting in “massive damages and heavy losses” for growers. (KNO)

Srinagar: The fruit mandi located on the outskirts of Sopore town used to bustle with activity during the peak apple season, with hundreds of mini-trucks, tractors, and tillers ferrying tens of thousands of apple boxes for sale. But on Sunday evening at 6:30 PM, when this correspondent visited the market—which is usually crowded at this hour—it wore a deserted look, with only a few people present.

The emptiness was the result of a shutdown across all apple markets in Kashmir, including this mandi, scheduled for tomorrow to protest the government’s failure to ensure the unhindered movement of trucks carrying fruit to various markets across the country.

Fruit growers in Kashmir are fretting and fuming over the condition of the Srinagar–Jammu highway—particularly the stretch between Tharad and Balli Nallah, located between Jakhani and Chenani in Udhampur district—which is choking the movement of trucks carrying apples and halting their timely delivery to markets nationwide.

Angered by the government’s apathetic attitude toward the highway crisis, the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union on Sunday announced a two-day closure of all fruit mandis across the Valley on September 14 and 15, 2025, to express their outrage over the halting of fruit-laden trucks on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH44).

In a statement, the fruit growers’ body said that hundreds of trucks carrying perishable fruit consignments remain stranded on the highway and have not been allowed to proceed to their destinations, leading to “massive damages and heavy losses” for growers.

“In view of the persistent demand of fruit growers and dealers of the Valley, it has been resolved that all mandis will remain closed for business on September 14 and 15. Peaceful protests will also be held from 8 AM to 9 AM on both days against the highway restrictions,” the statement read.

Speaking to reporters, Sopore Fruit Mandi President Fayaz Ahmed Malik said thousands of trucks carrying apples and other fruits are stranded on the highway, causing heavy losses to growers. “We have already incurred losses of over Rs 1200 crore. If the authorities want to safeguard Kashmir’s horticulture, they should allow the unhindered movement of fruit trucks towards Jammu for at least two days,” he said.

A group of growers told KNO that the government appears non-serious about safeguarding the interests of fruit growers. “Why is the government not ensuring the unhindered movement of fruit trucks on the highway? The government should clarify how many meetings have been convened by the Chief Minister or the Horticulture Minister to resolve the highway crisis,” they said, adding that disruptions in traffic movement could have a devastating impact on Kashmir’s economy and push lakhs of families dependent on the apple industry into crisis.

They said they have never faced such a situation in the past. “When the highway was closed during Central rule, Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself directed the J&K Chief Secretary to facilitate the movement of fruit trucks to the market. Why can’t the elected government ensure the smooth movement of trucks on the highway?” they asked.

According to growers, the poor condition of the road between Tharad and Balli Nallah is severely hampering traffic movement. “Traffic is slowing down due to the condition of this patch. It was washed away in recent rains and landslides, and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has built a temporary muddy road to restore traffic,” they said, adding that NHAI should expedite the reconstruction work.

“If they continue working at the current pace, it will take months to fully restore the highway,” they said.

When contacted, general manager & regional officer, NHAI, Jammu, Radhe Shyam Yadav said he is busy. “I will talk to you later,” he said. (KNO)