Fruit fall, freight charges logistical challenges push us to the brink, say apple growers

Srinagar, Sep 29 : Apple growers across Kashmir are facing one of their toughest harvest seasons in recent memory, as heavy fruit fall, poor market demand, and logistical hurdles have combined to push the valley’s horticulture sector into crisis.

Farmers, speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said they were compelled to harvest their crop earlier than usual after a prolonged dry spell was followed by incessant rains, strong winds, and hailstorms, which caused apples to fall prematurely.

“The fruit fall began suddenly, and it simply didn’t stop this year. Every morning, we would find apples scattered on the ground. If we hadn’t picked them early, we would have been left with nothing,” said Abdul Rashid, an orchardist from Shopian.

Growers accused the horticulture department of failing to provide any meaningful assistance. “We had been pleading for help to control the fruit fall, but no measures were taken. We watched helplessly as our hard work of the year kept going to waste,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a grower from Pulwama.

The situation has been worsened by the fact that fallen apples have found no takers in the market, the growers said. “Earlier, juice factories or traders would at least buy the fallen fruit at lower rates, but this year, nobody came forward. We had no choice but to let them rot under the trees,” lamented Ghulam Nabi, a grower from Kulgam.

Transportation has emerged as another major challenge. With frequent highway closures, a shortage of trucks, and skyrocketing freight charges, many growers said whatever little margin they hoped for was wiped out. “Freight has become unbearable. Even if we somehow manage to send our produce to outside markets, the transport costs swallow all our returns,” said another grower from Anantnag.

The cold storage crisis has added to the panic. Facilities across the valley filled up much earlier than usual, leaving hundreds of growers without storage space. “Those of us who could not secure cold storage are now forced to sell at throwaway prices. It is a huge blow to small farmers like us,” said Mohammad Ashraf, an orchardist from Baramulla.

The growers said the demand for Kashmiri apples has remained weak this season, leading to a sharp drop in prices compared to last year. “We are not even getting back the amount we spent on fertilisers, pesticides, labour, and transportation. The market is dead and our efforts have gone in vain,” growers said.'

Farmers appealed to the government to intervene urgently by regulating freight charges, expanding cold storage capacity, and ensuring alternative marketing channels for Kashmiri apples.

They said the horticulture sector is the backbone of Kashmir’s economy. If the government does not act quickly, the entire economy will feel the shock of this crisis, they warned.