Aabid Hamid
Pulwama, Jul 5: The low price of Kashmiri plums in the outside markets has made growers and traders worried as they fear huge losses if the current trend continues.
The traders say that during the early stage of the season, the demand and rates of plums used to be high, “but this year, the market is down by around 50 per cent.”
Sajad Ahmad Mir, a trader from Pulwama, said, “There is a minimal demand for Kashmiri plums from the markets across the country due to which the rates have plummeted. Due to this issue, we are suffering losses as labour rate, transportation charges and prices of cardboard and wooden boxes are already high.”
He said the horticulture industry may collapse if the government fails to intervene.
Fayaz Ah Mir, a grower from Pulwama, said the prices of Kashmiri plums have declined from Rs 600 per box to Rs 300 per box, which will inflict huge losses on the growers.
Mir said they have repeatedly requested the government to intervene and save the horticulture industry in Kashmir, which provides livelihood to lakhs of people in Kashmir and beyond.
