08/09/2025
Highway Havoc: Kashmir's Apple Growers Left in the Lurch as Prices Plummet 60%
Transport chaos and market inaccessibility trigger an economic crisis, with growers pleading for immediate government intervention.
Ashraf Hamaad
Srinagar, Sep 08, CNS– A silent crisis is rotting in the orchards of Kashmir, as the region's famed apple growers face catastrophic losses due to severe transportation bottlenecks. With the national highway frequently closed and the alternative Mughal Road inaccessible for large vehicles, tons of produce are struggling to reach the market, causing a devastating 60% collapse in prices.
The apple industry, a vital pillar of Kashmir's economy supporting thousands of families, is on the brink. Growers, who invest their entire year's labor and resources into the harvest, are now watching the value of their produce evaporate.
"The prices are unbearable," laments one grower from Shopian, the heart of Kashmir's apple country. "We work 12 months a year for this. With the highway closed and no way to get our trucks out, the traders are offering pennies. This isn't a low profit; it's a massive loss that we cannot absorb."
The core of the problem is logistical paralysis. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the region's lifeline, is often shut due to landslides or inclement weather. The historic Mughal Road, intended as an alternative, remains unfit for the heavy trucks necessary to transport fruit to major markets across India.
This stranglehold on supply chains means apples are either not reaching the market or arriving too late, forcing growers to sell their premium produce at a fraction of the cost just to avoid a total loss.
The economic shockwave is immense. A 60% decline doesn't just mean less income; it threatens the very livelihood of growers, their ability to repay loans, pay laborers, and sustain their families for the coming year.
As per CNS reporter Ashraf Hamaad ,There is a growing and urgent plea for the administration to step in. Growers and trade associations are demanding immediate, effective measures to ensure consistent road access and provide emergency support to offset the losses.
"The government must find a solution to this annual nightmare," urges a representative of a fruit growers' association. "Prompt action is not just about saving a harvest; it's about saving the thousands of families that depend on this industry and protecting the backbone of our economy from breaking."
The clock is ticking for Kashmir's apple growers. Without swift intervention, the bounty of the beautiful valleys may come at an unbearable cost for those who cultivate it.(CNS)
