Kashmir fruit growers count losses as highway stays shut

Srinagar, Aug 29: The four-day closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway following heavy rains, landslides, and road damage has left Kashmir’s horticulture industry paralysed, with hundreds of fruit-laden trucks stranded and growers fearing devastating losses.

The recent flood-like situation, which caused the heaviest damage in the Jammu region and partially affected parts of the Valley, has crippled Kashmir’s only all-weather road link with the rest of the country.

With the harvest season for early fruit varieties in full swing, mandis across Sopore, Shopian, Pulwama, and Srinagar are packed with perishable produce waiting for transportation.

Trucks loaded with Bagogosha pears, Galamast, and Red Ghala apples have been immobilised for days, while large quantities of fruit remain unpicked in orchards.

Growers say every passing day is pushing them closer to financial ruin.

“This is nothing short of a disaster for us,” said Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union. “Our trucks have been stuck for several days on the highway, mandis are overflowing, and orchards are full of fruit that cannot be moved. If urgent steps are not taken, the losses will run into crores.”

Basheer urged the administration to act immediately.

“The government must allow priority movement of stranded fruit trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. We also demand that 6- and 10-tyre trucks be allowed on the Mughal Road around the clock. The small six-wheelers currently permitted cannot carry bulk fruit consignments or ensure safe transport,” he said.

Growers across south Kashmir echoed the concerns.

Muhammad Maqbool, an orchardist from Shopian, said his livelihood was on the line.

“I invested everything this year. My pears and apples are ready for dispatch, but with the highway closed, they are losing value by the day. If this continues, the crop will rot before reaching the markets,” he said.

Another trader at Sopore Fruit Mandi said the crisis was compounded by Himachal Pradesh’s bumper crop, which has already pushed down fruit prices.

“Even if our trucks start moving tomorrow, we will be competing with cheaper consignments already flooding the markets outside J&K,” he said.

The horticulture industry, considered the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, sustains over seven lakh families.

Growers warn that a large-scale spoilage of this season’s produce would ripple through the entire rural economy, hitting farmers, traders, transporters, and labourers alike.

Officials said restoration work on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was underway at multiple stretches between Ramban and Udhampur, but gave no timeline for full reopening. In the meantime, growers are pressing the government to treat the issue as an emergency.

“The clock is ticking,” Basheer said. “If trucks don’t move in the next two days, Kashmir’s fruit industry will face irreparable damage.”