Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 6: As Kashmir’s famed apple season begins, fruit growers in lower areas, where the season starts early, are caught in a crisis yet again due to the frequent closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the valley’s only all-weather road link with the rest of the country.
The disruption has forced many to delay apple picking, fearing heavy losses if their produce gets stranded en route to markets.
According to the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, around 800 vehicles carrying high-density apples and pears are currently stranded on the highway, putting the livelihoods of thousands of families at risk.
“This is extremely worrying,” said Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Union.
He said that every year, during harvest season, fruit growers face one crisis or another. This year, prolonged closures have already delayed transportation, and our perishable fruit cannot survive such conditions, he said.
“We strongly demand the intervention of the government to arrange goods trains for transportation or make arrangements for heavy vehicles on Mughal roads so that this crisis is not repeated every season,” Basheer added.
Nearly 70 per cent of the valley’s population depends directly or indirectly on horticulture, with apples being the backbone of the rural economy. Kashmir produces over 70 per cent of India’s apples, contributing thousands of crores annually to the UT’s economy.
Farmers fear that if the stranded produce does not reach markets on time, the fruit will rot, and even those that make it will fetch far below the expected rates due to deteriorated quality.
“This is the peak season for gala varieties of apples and pears,” said Basharat Ahmad, a grower from Sopore, one of the largest fruit trade hubs in north Kashmir. “The longer our trucks remain stuck, the more we lose. Even if they somehow reach Delhi or other markets, their condition won’t be the same, and we won’t get the right price.”
While the Mughal Road is seen as an alternative, growers say it has offered little relief. Current restrictions allow only six-tyre vehicles, which limits the volume of fruit that can be transported. Moreover, such vehicles often do not make it beyond Delhi, leaving major southern and central Indian markets, such as Bangalore, Kanpur, and Chennai, out of reach.
“Without access to these major markets, our income potential shrinks drastically,” said Ghulam Mohammad, an orchardist from Shopian. “This is why we need a long-term solution.”
Many growers are now urging the government to explore railway transport as a permanent alternative. “If goods trains are arranged, fruit growers won’t be held hostage to road closures every year,” said Mohammad Yousuf, a grower from Pulwama. “This sector is the backbone of J&K’s economy. The least the government can do is ensure its survival.”
The Srinagar-Jammu Highway has remained mostly closed over the last two weeks following landslides and road damage caused by heavy rains at several vulnerable spots. For fruit growers, this is not just a seasonal inconvenience but a recurring nightmare that threatens the very future of Kashmir’s horticulture.
“We appeal to the government to treat this as an emergency,” the growers said. “Without smooth transport, all our hard work will go to waste, and the valley’s economy will collapse further. Immediate steps must be taken before the damage becomes irreparable.”
