Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Sep 19: High freight charges and an acute shortage of transport continue to haunt Kashmir’s fruit sector despite repeated assurances from the government.
The growers said they are being forced to pay triple the usual rates to send their produce to outside markets, leaving them on the verge of massive losses.
Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union president, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, said that apart from the highway crisis, low demand and other issues, the profits of growers are being eaten away by soaring transport costs.
He appealed to the administration to intervene immediately by deploying RTC (Road Transport Corporation) vehicles at every mandi to stabilise freight rates.
Basheer said that RTC vehicles have been deployed at Fruit Mandi in Shopian and Sopore, but they must also be deployed at other mandis.
“Earlier, we used to pay around Rs 60 per box via the National Highway route, but this year the rates have skyrocketed to Rs 200. On the Mughal Road, the charges are even higher—over 200 per box,” said Abdul Rashid, a grower from Shopian. “At these rates, how can a farmer survive? We are not traders with multiple sources of income. For us, apples are the only livelihood.”
Another grower, Mohammad Yousuf from Pulwama, stated that private transporters were taking advantage of the crisis. “We were assured that freight charges would be kept under check, but the ground reality is completely different. If the government is serious, it should immediately deploy RTC trucks at every mandi. That will automatically bring down the rates,” he said.
Fruit growers’ associations accused transporters of creating a shortage. “The government must step in. Unless RTC trucks are made available, private transporters will continue to loot the growers. Every day of delay is pushing farmers towards bankruptcy,” Basheer said.
He added that the soaring costs come at a time when growers are already facing uncertainty due to highway closures and market volatility. “If immediate action is not taken, not only will growers suffer, but the entire horticulture economy of Kashmir will be hit hard,” he said.
Growers said the government should not only ensure free movement of trucks on highways but also regulate freight rates. “We want the administration to fix uniform charges and deploy RTC vehicles at mandis across Kashmir. This is the only way to save us from exploitation,” said Ghulam Nabi, a grower from Baramulla.
The apple industry, which provides livelihood to nearly 3.5 million people in J&K, is seen as the backbone of the region’s economy. But with freight charges spiralling and transport shortage persisting, growers fear that their season’s hard work will go in vain.
