Fruit Growers' SOS to LG: Rein in CA store owners

Srinagar, Apr 28: Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union raised serious concerns regarding various issues plaguing the horticulture industry in the region.

A statement said that the meeting, chaired by Union's Chairman, Bashir Ahmad Basheer and attended by representatives from all fruit growers' associations in the Valley, highlighted the need for immediate intervention from the Lt. Governor's administration.

"A major point of contention was the alleged high-handedness and exploitation by local cold storage and controlled atmosphere (CA) store owners. The union accused these owners of charging exorbitant rates for inferior quality cardboard boxes, tapes, and bin/crate charges."

Furthermore, they claimed that the CA store owners compelled growers to store their produce for a minimum of five months, denying them the option to retrieve their apple crop earlier.

According to the union's statement, "CA store owners also pressured fruit growers to sell their stored apples to them at the lowest possible rates, leaving the growers with little bargaining power. The union has warned that if the administration fails to intervene, the valley's fruit growers and dealers may have no option but to protest."

Another significant issue discussed was the extensive damage caused to fruit orchards across South Kashmir due to recent hailstorms, gusty winds, and storms. The union has been persistently urging the Lt. Governor's administration to introduce a crop insurance scheme to safeguard the interests of fruit growers and dealers during natural disasters. Despite repeated follow-ups, the scheme has yet to be implemented.

The union also raised concerns over the arrival of spurious pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides being sold at exorbitant rates by mafia dealers across the valley. In January 2024, four truckloads of spurious pesticides were seized by the enforcement wing of the Directorate of Agriculture/Horticulture Department in Sopore and Kulgam. The union has demanded strengthening the enforcement wing and conducting surprise inspections, with severe action, including booking offenders under the Public Safety Act (PSA), against those found selling spurious pesticides.

Furthermore, the heavy influx of imported apples in Indian markets has cast a "shadow on the Kashmir apple industry," according to the union. They have requested the Lt. Governor's administration to take up the matter with the Government of India, seeking either a 100% import duty on imported apples or restricting their arrival to the minimum possible quantity.

The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union has appealed to the Lt. Governor's administration to intervene promptly and address these pressing issues to safeguard the interests of the horticulture industry and the valley's fruit growers and dealers.