Highway blockade risks Kashmir’s fruit economy as growers warn of rotting produce
Srinagar: Indian illegally occupied Kashmir’s horticulture sector has raised a collective alarm over the prolonged closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway, warning that the blockade is pushing apples and pears worth billions towards decay and threatening the livelihoods of lakhs of families across the Valley.
According to Kashmir Media Service, this is the seventh straight day of disruption, leaving more than 400 fruit-laden trucks stranded at Sopore Fruit Mandi, while freshly harvested produce in orchards across Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora remains unsold.
“This is turning into a disaster,” said Fayaz Ahmad Malik, President of the Fruit Growers Association Sopore. “Apples and pears have a limited shelf life. Every passing day without transport means losses running into crores. The government must immediately operate goods trains to ferry fruit out of the Valley.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Apple Farmers Federation also sounded alarm, saying that apple-laden trucks stranded on highways were beginning to rot. “Apple is the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, and every day of delay means huge financial losses for growers,” Federation President Zahoor Ahmad Rather said. He urged authorities to give apple trucks preference once the road is reopened to prevent further damage.
Growers further appealed for alternate transport routes like the Mughal Road to be kept functional. “One goods train can replace hundreds of trucks. The government must act now, otherwise this season will turn into a catastrophe for our Rs 10,000 crore industry,” Muhammad Aslam, an orchardist from Sopore, remarked.
Observers warn that unless urgent measures are taken, Kashmir’s entire horticulture sector—comprising apples, pears and other fruits—faces irreversible damage this season.
