Letter To Editor: Kashmir's Apple Industry Is Dying On The Road

Every autumn in Kashmir, orchards blush red and green as apple harvests reach their peak. For generations, these apples have been the lifeblood of the valley, supporting nearly seven lakh families. Farmers rise before dawn, tend trees through harsh winters and monsoon rains, and, come harvest time, carry their hopes in wooden crates. Yet today, those hopes rot on the side of the road.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only major land artery linking Kashmir to the rest of India, becomes a battleground each harvest season. Blocked by landslides, trucks laden with apples face delays that stretch into days. By the time fruit reaches Delhi or Mumbai, freshness fades, market prices collapse, and farmers are forced to sell at ruinously low rates. A crate that should have fetched thousands is sometimes offloaded for a fraction of its worth.

Kashmir produces around 20 lakh metric tonnes of apples annually, accounting for 70 percent of India's supply. This industry is not merely an agricultural activity. It forms the economic backbone of the valley.

From orchard workers to cold storage operators, from truck drivers to market commission agents, livelihoods are tightly woven around this fruit. When the highway blocks, entire communities feel the tremors.

Cold storage facilities could change everything. With enough storage capacity, farmers could hold their fruit until transport clears or market prices improve. Cold storage is hope, but without government support, it remains an unattainable dream for small growers.

High upfront costs, lack of subsidies, and insufficient loans keep this solution out of reach for many.

Every season, the same pattern plays out: farmers face mounting debt, youth abandon dreams of innovation for survival, and the valley's economy bleeds.

Walk through an apple orchard in September, and the atmosphere carries an unspoken anxiety. Farmers glance at their crates with fear.“Will my apples reach the market in time?” has become the question that overshadows every smile.

Solutions are simple and achievable: uninterrupted passage for perishable goods during harvest, government-backed cold storage infrastructure, railway alternatives, and transparent compensation for losses.

These are the very tools that could rescue the industry and the people who depend on it.

Kashmir's apple industry stands at a crossroads. Without decisive action, the valley risks losing its economy, and future. The orchards will continue to bloom every spring, but their pride may wither if the highways remain blocked.

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