16/09/2025
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Srinagar, September 16, 2025 – Kashmir’s apple industry is reeling as fruit markets across the Valley shuttered on Monday, September 15, in a fiery protest against the government’s failure to reopen the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, closed for two weeks due to heavy rainfall. With losses soaring past ₹200 crore and potentially climbing to ₹600 crore, apple growers are demanding urgent action, accusing authorities of turning a natural setback into a man-made disaster.
Hundreds of growers flooded the streets, closing markets in north, central, and south Kashmir. “Our apples are rotting in trucks while we wait for the highway to reopen. This isn’t just rain—it’s negligence,” said Fayaz Dar, an apple dealer from Sopore’s mandi. The prolonged closure has slashed apple box prices from ₹600 to ₹400, hitting farmers hard. Zahoor Ahmad Rather of the J&K Apple Farmers Federation called for immediate highway access and compensation, including a waiver of Kisan Credit Card loans for affected farmers.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pointed fingers at the Central government, which oversees the highway. “If they can’t handle it, hand it over to us. Our engineers could have fixed this by now,” Abdullah said, revealing he’d raised the issue with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Promising “concrete steps” within 24 hours, he expressed sympathy for growers watching their livelihoods spoil.
The crisis has sparked political heat. PDP leader Iltija M***i slammed the National Conference government, hinting at corporate collusion, while J&K Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone called the government’s inaction “criminal” and urged Abdullah to strategize with stakeholders. Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture Javid Ahmad Dar inspected the highway, pushing for one-way access for stranded apple trucks within 48 hours.
A new parcel train service, flagged off by Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha from Budgam to Delhi, aims to ease the crisis. The daily service, with an eight-coach train carrying 180 tonnes of apples and perishables, offers a faster, economical option. However, traders like Rashid Khan from Pulwama say it falls short: “Hundreds of metric tonnes are waiting. This is denting Kashmir’s apple brand and economy.”
With horticulture—led by apples—contributing 6-7% to J&K’s GDP and employing 35 lakh people, per the 2023-24 Economic Survey, the stakes are high. Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg promised a plan to evacuate stranded trucks via the highway or Mughal Road, with a committee assessing losses. But as apples rot and tempers flare, Kashmir’s growers await action to save their harvest and livelihoods.