Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 25: Demand for Kashmiri apples has plummeted drastically this season, with rates dipping to less than half of what growers earned last year, leaving thousands of orchardists across the valley in distress.
Bashir Ahmad Basheer, president of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, said the industry is facing one of its toughest phases in recent history.
“Rates are very low this year — less than even 50 per cent of what we earned last season,” Basheer said. “The primary reason is the backlog of produce that remained stranded on highways, mandis, orchards, and other storage facilities. This backlog will take nearly a month to clear, and only after that, we may see some improvement. But by then, more apples will have already reached the market, adding to the crisis.”
Growers from different districts expressed deep concern over the unprecedented slump. They said that an apple box, which fetched over Rs 1,000 last year, is being sold for barely Rs 400 this season.
“How can we survive when the cost of production itself is higher than the selling price?” asked Abdul Rashid, a grower from Shopian. “Fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides, freight, labour, boxes, paper, and packaging — everything has become costlier. But when we take our produce to the mandis, we are forced to sell it at throwaway prices.”
Another grower, Ghulam Nabi from Sopore, said the situation has shaken the confidence of farmers. “We have been in this business for decades, but never have we witnessed such a disastrous season. It feels like we are working day and night only to incur losses. Many growers are worried about repaying debts taken for orchard management,” he said.
The growers fear that if immediate steps are not taken by the government to stabilise the market, the valley’s horticulture sector — which provides livelihood to lakhs of families — could face long-term damage.
“This is not just about farmers,” Basheer added. “If apple growers suffer, the entire rural economy of Kashmir suffers with them. We urge the authorities to intervene before it is too late.”
With the season’s peak harvest yet to arrive, orchardists are bracing for more challenges ahead, uncertain whether their produce will find fair prices in the already saturated markets. (KNO)
