Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 30: Apple growers and truck drivers in Kashmir are expressing deep frustration, saying they continue to face long delays at cold storage facilities while unloading their produce.
With the traditional markets offering poor returns this season, a larger number of orchardists are turning to cold storage units, but the limited infrastructure is now showing cracks.
Several growers said that they are forced to wait for hours—sometimes an entire day—before their turn comes.
“We reach the cold storage units early in the morning, but the unloading takes hours. There are not enough workers to manage the load,” said Abdul Rashid, an orchardist from Shopian. “In the process, both growers and drivers are suffering.”
Load carrier drivers too echoed the concerns. “When a truck remains stranded for an entire day at a unit, it not only wastes time but also costs us more in terms of fuel and daily charges,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a driver from Pulwama.
According to officials and industry insiders, understaffing is one of the primary reasons behind the delays. “The inflow of apples this year has been extraordinary because growers are unable to sell their produce outside due to very low demand. That is why within just 15 days, nearly 60 per cent of storage space has already been occupied,” said a cold storage manager in Lassipora, adding that the remaining space is likely to be filled within days.
Kashmir produces around 22,000–25,000 lakh metric tonnes of horticulture produce annually, but cold storage facilities in the valley can accommodate only about 3,000 lakh metric tonnes. The mismatch between production and storage capacity has left growers with limited options.
“This is a season of crisis for us. If the government really wants to save the horticulture sector, it must increase cold storage capacity on war footing and deploy more manpower at existing units,” said Ghulam Nabi, another orchardist.
Experts believe the rush to cold storage units this year reflects both a positive shift in post-harvest practices and a warning about the sector’s vulnerabilities.
With the harvesting season still underway, industry stakeholders fear that the demand for storage will soon outstrip availability, leaving thousands of growers struggling to preserve their produce.
This leaves us with no option other than to sell our produce at a low price, they said. (KNO)
