Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Nov 19: In the wake of the devastating natural disaster that struck Jammu and Kashmir in August 2025, the valley’s fruit industry, one of the region’s major economic lifelines, has reported massive losses estimated at nearly Rs 2,000 crore, the growers said on Wednesday.
At an emergency meeting convened by the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-Cum-Dealers Union (KVFG) at Fruit Mandi, Apple Town, Sopore, the representatives from all major fruit growers’ associations across the valley expressed grave concern over the crisis and urged the government to immediately announce a comprehensive relief package.
The meeting, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), was chaired by KVFG Chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer, who said the valley’s apple economy had been crippled after an unprecedented deluge in August, followed by the closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway for more than 20 days.
Basheer said the disaster hit at the peak of the apple harvesting season, turning the situation catastrophic for growers, traders, and buyers. “Thousands of trucks carrying fresh apples remained stuck for days together, resulting in massive rotting and damage to the produce. Prices crashed to levels never seen before. Farmers who worked tirelessly the entire year were forced to sell their produce at throwaway rates,” he said.
Since mid-August, recurring landslides and repair work on the national highway have led to repeated closures, causing fruit consignments to pile up in mandis and orchards, further triggering a price crash, the growers said.
The Union expressed disappointment that neither the central government nor the UT administration has announced any compensation or support package so far, despite the enormous losses.
It urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to address the crisis through a set of key demands that include an immediate Rs 2,000 crore relief package, implementation of crop insurance for horticulture, revival of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and declaration of Mughal Road as National Highway and construction of alternative routes.
The growers also demanded Waiver of KCC Loans, interest exemption on farmer loans, ending municipal Chungi on Fruit Transportation, establishment of 200–300 Additional CA/Cold Stores, standardisation of Packaging (Bardanna), quality Control on Pesticides and Fertilisers, ban on artificial colouring chemicals and fully equipped Fruit Mandis
The Union urged CA store owners to adhere to the 2024 decision, allowing growers to use their own packaging material if they choose.
KVFG called for effective quarantine measures for high-density plantation rootstock to avoid the entry of infected plants and prevent crop losses.
The Union said the fruit economy, which employs lakhs and contributes significantly to the region’s livelihood, is at a breaking point and requires urgent government intervention to prevent long-term damage—(KNO)
