Kashmiri growers voice dry spell concerns at National Apple Conference

Srinagar, Jan 19: With apple cultivators fearing the baneful impact of a protracted dry spell on the apple industry, dozens of Kashmiri delegates participating in the first national apple conference reiterated their rallying cry—save apple, save Kashmir.

The two-day national apple conference of the Apple Farmers' Federation of India (AFFI) concluded on Friday in Chandigarh.

The delegates from all three apple-producing states—Jammu and  Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand--attended the conference.

P Krishnaprasad,  finance secretary of All India Kissin Sabha (AIKS) inaugurated the conference.

At least 40 farmer delegates from Jammu and Kashmir participated in the conference. The conference was held at a time when Jammu and Kashmir, the largest apple-producing region in India with an annual production of around 1719415.69 metric tonnes, is grappling with an unprecedented dry spell.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Zahoor Ahmad Rather, president Jammu and Kashmir chapter of AFFI said, “ We reiterated our rallying cry of  save apple, save Kashmir, underscoring the urgency of saving the apple industry and the livelihood of millions”,

He said that apple cultivators “have serious apprehensions that if the present situation persists, it will severely impact both on the quality and production of the fruit."

Rather said that the delegates from Jammu and Kashmir conveyed their apprehension and demanded the implementation of crop insurance schemes and adequate compensation on the occasion of natural calamities.

“The demand for setting up a horticulture university in Kashmir was also put forth by us," said Rather.

“A resolution in this regard was also passed in the conference."

Rather said that it was decided to launch an intensive campaign on the livelihood issues of apple cultivators from the village level in all three apple regions of the country.

“ A resolution demanding the rollback of amendments made in the land laws of Jammu and Kashmir was also adopted," he said.

A charter of demands was also adopted during the conference. The demands included, inter alia, ensuring remunerative prices, imposition of 100 percent duty on imports, setting up of a sufficient number of Controlled Atmosphere ( CA) storages in each district and state support for the producer cooperatives.

According to an AFFI statement, an eleven-member coordination committee was formed with senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami and Rakesh Sinha, former MLA elected as coordinators.

Last year, J&K AFFI organised a flurry of conferences in all apple-producing districts of Kashmir, mounting pressure on the government to concede to the demands of the apple cultivators.

In August 2023, a delegation, comprising Tarigami and other office bearers of AFFI met with Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan and held a discussion about marketing of apples from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in the southern state, given its robust cooperative society network.