Fruit growers seek train service as NH closure puts Rs 20,000 Cr apple industry at risk
Shopian, Sep 2: Apple growers in Kashmir have renewed calls for an alternative transport system through train services, as the closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway for the seventh consecutive day has left their produce stranded and their livelihoods threatened.
The 273-km highway — the Valley’s only all-weather surface link with the rest of India — has remained shut due to heavy rains, causing massive disruptions during the peak harvest season.
“Every year, during the harvest season, we face the same problem. Trucks carrying apples get stuck for days. By the time the fruit reaches markets in Delhi and other states, its quality reduces, and we are forced to sell it at dirt cheap prices,” said Tariq Ahmad, a prominent fruit grower from Shopian.
Jammu and Kashmir produces around 20–22 lakh metric tonnes of apples annually, contributing nearly 70 percent of India’s total output. Valued at Rs 20,000 crore, the sector sustains the livelihood of over 3.5 million people, directly and indirectly. Growers warn that depending solely on the highway makes the industry highly vulnerable.
“If freight services are started, apples can be easily transported to markets outside Kashmir without depending on the highway,” said Mohammad Ashraf Wani, president, Fruit Mandi Shopian. The mandi dispatches nearly 50,000 apple cartons daily during peak harvest.
Last month, the Railway Board approved a Joint Parcel Product–Rapid Cargo Service (JPP–RCS) between Budgam and Delhi. However, the service has not yet started due to inclement weather. “Right now, our focus is on the resumption of regular coaching traffic,” said Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Northern Railways.
Meanwhile, losses continue to mount. Growers say that in August alone, apples worth hundreds of crores were damaged due to transportation delays. Pear growers, too, suffered setbacks. “Pears suffered huge damage due to prolonged closure of the highway,” said Bashir Ahmad Bashir, chairman, Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Association.
