Communication Blockade In Valley Affecting Fruit Trade
The month-long shutdown in the Jammu and Kashmir has severely hit fruit traders including apple growers of the Valley. At the onset of fruit season, there is a lull across fruit mandis of Jammu.
J&K’s Governor Satya Pal Malik last week had said that the Kashmir situation won’t affect the apple growers. He had announced that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) “will commit over Rs 5,000 crore for procuring over 50% of apple produce of the state and this will benefit more than seven lakh apple growers”.
But the ground reality is just the opposite. Kashmir’s current security arrangements are affecting the transport of apples, plums, and pears from J&K. Due to this, fruits are getting pricier too. Earlier, the cost of apples was Rs 20-25 per kg, now it has shot up to Rs 70 per kg.
According to Rajesh Gupta, a fruit trader from narwal fruit mandi, last year, around 100-150 trucks used to reach Mandi from Kashmir Valley, but this year only 10-15 trucks have arrived in Mandi. “Communication is a big problem as we are not able to get in touch with growers in the valley,” he said.
Umesh Gupta, another trader, said that if the condition persists, then apple growers will definitely face heavy losses. They will have to bear the loss if fruit-laden trucks are stranded on way to markets outside the state, where most of the output is consumed. No trader will buy bad quality apples if the truck arrives late.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a grower from Kashmir, said that the trucks are not available due to no phone connectivity, and those that are available are charging more. The traders demand that the government restore internet and phone services in Kashmir so that they can communicate with farmers. Moreover, truck facilities should be provided to farmers to freight goods to the mandis of Jammu.
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But the ground reality is just the opposite. Kashmir’s current security arrangements are affecting the transport of apples, plums, and pears from J&K. Due to this, fruits are getting pricier too. Earlier, the cost of apples was Rs 20-25 per kg, now it has shot up to Rs 70 per kg.
According to Rajesh Gupta, a fruit trader from narwal fruit mandi, last year, around 100-150 trucks used to reach Mandi from Kashmir Valley, but this year only 10-15 trucks have arrived in Mandi. “Communication is a big problem as we are not able to get in touch with growers in the valley,” he said.
Umesh Gupta, another trader, said that if the condition persists, then apple growers will definitely face heavy losses. They will have to bear the loss if fruit-laden trucks are stranded on way to markets outside the state, where most of the output is consumed. No trader will buy bad quality apples if the truck arrives late.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a grower from Kashmir, said that the trucks are not available due to no phone connectivity, and those that are available are charging more. The traders demand that the government restore internet and phone services in Kashmir so that they can communicate with farmers. Moreover, truck facilities should be provided to farmers to freight goods to the mandis of Jammu.
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