Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Sep 18: Cold storage unit holders across Kashmir have reduced their storage fees for apples due to various factors impacting the apple industry this season.
Officials from multiple cold storage facilities said that last year’s apple sales were very low, which discouraged many growers from utilising storage services. They said this year’s apple production has seen a decline, while the number of cold storage units continues to increase, which has led to lower storage charges.
Aabid Ahmad, an employee at a local cold storage unit, explained that reduced apple production and heightened competition among storage operators compelled them to decrease rates. He said losses incurred by growers who stored apples last year have diminished the demand for storage space and pushed operators to offer more attractive prices.
“Typically, cold storage units charged around Rs 2 per kilogram per month, but rates have now been lowered to Rs 1 or Rs 1.20 per kilogram to attract more clients,” Ahmad said. “This is beneficial for apple traders and will help alleviate costs during a challenging production year.”
Cold storage facilities are essential for maintaining apple quality during the offseason as it allows growers and traders to store their produce until market conditions improve. With the reduced rates, growers can now store their apples without incurring heavy expenses. This provides some relief amid declining production.
The unit holders said that during previous years growers typically booked storage space in advance; however, this year has seen a shift, which prompted them to lower rates to entice clients.
“Despite the reduced prices, there is a need for growers to focus on quality improvements and adopt modern practices to ensure better yields and profitability in the future,” the unit holders said.
Currently, around 300,000 metric tons of apples are stored in various Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storages across Kashmir. The region usually produces over 2 million metric tons of apples annually, with figures sometimes reaching 2.5 million metric tons.
According to the 2017 economic survey of J&K, approximately half of Kashmir’s population relies directly or indirectly on the apple industry, which spans over 350,000 hectares of cultivated land.
