Snow fury: Compensate fruit growers

The fruit industry has suffered a huge loss as the untimely snowfall in the Valley has damaged at least 50 per cent of this year’s produce of fruit growers, thus leaving them to lurch at large. The fruit growers have witnessed huge losses during the month of October and November due to the untimely snowfall in the Valley. Moreover, the Covid lockdowns implemented by the government also caused huge losses to them while as per the reports; many growers have even switched to other jobs after they couldn’t survive the situation. Although the government has been providing assistance to the affected fruit growers, many of the statements coming to the fore by the growers, claimed that they are being given just peanuts, which is not even touching their losses. Today, when the fruit growers, especially in Southern districts have suffered huge losses again, the government has issued directions to the concerned quarters to assess the losses for the assistance. Besides, many of the politicians too have sought government attention towards the sufferings of the fruit growers. However, at this juncture, the government should ensure speedy assessment of the losses to the fruit growers across the Valley and the further steps regarding assisting the affected people should be taken at an earliest to ensure that the industry sustains and the people of Kashmir would be able to produce more and more fruits in the future. The government must not push the affected fruit growers and should ensure that the fruits like apples, which are famous across the globe, could sustain in the markets.