Srinagar- 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 news agency 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.

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