Srinagar: In a devastating blow to Kashmir’s horticulture sector, several apple-laden trucks returned from Qazigund and other areas after being stranded for more than eight days due to the prolonged closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
By the time the trucks were allowed to move back, the entire produce inside had rotted, leaving growers in tears and traders staring at heavy financial losses.
The incident has once again highlighted the catastrophic impact of the frequent highway blockades during the peak fruit season. For many growers, this year’s harvest has already turned into a nightmare.
“It was a heart-wrenching scene when I opened my truck after eight days. All the apple boxes were rotten. I had borrowed money for fertilisers and packaging, hoping to recover it from sales. Now I am ruined,” Ghulam Nabi, an orchardist from Shopian, told the news agency KNO.
The national highway, Kashmir’s only all-weather road link to the outside world, has remained shut for much of the past three weeks following landslides and shooting stones triggered by incessant rains. Although the administration had promised a smooth passage to perishable fruit-laden trucks, many were left stranded at Qazigund, unable to move forward.
“We waited day and night at Qazigund, hoping the road would open, but no turn came for us. After eight days, we had no choice but to return. The apples had turned into pulp. Who will compensate us?” asked Bashir Ahmad, a grower from Pulwama.
Growers said the repeated highway disruptions have made their livelihoods unsustainable. They added that every delay translates into enormous financial setbacks since apples are highly perishable and require timely transportation to outside mandis.
“Every year, we are told that the government is working on alternatives, but when such crises hit, we are left helpless. Our entire economy is crumbling. If this continues, the horticulture sector, which supports lakhs of families, will collapse,” said Muhammad Yousuf, a trader at Fruit Mandi Shopian.
The fruit industry, considered the backbone of Kashmir’s rural economy, contributes thousands of crores annually. But this season’s continuous blockades, combined with the lack of transportation facilities, have led to unprecedented losses.
“What is more painful is that this destruction was preventable. Why did the government fail to ensure the timely clearance of the highway for fruit trucks? Why are growers always left to suffer silently?” asked Abdul Rashid, another farmer from Kulgam.
As the losses mount, growers and traders are demanding immediate intervention from the government, including adequate compensation, improved traffic management, a cap on freight rates and the development of alternate routes to ensure that Kashmir’s produce reaches markets on time—(KNO)
