NH closure deepening crisis for apple growers, traders: Tarigami

Srinagar, Sep 16: CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam MY Tarigami has said that the devastating floods in September have caused heavy losses to human lives, properties, and standing crops in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference at Srinagar, Tarigami said the prolonged closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has hit hard farmers and fruit growers.

“Despite tall claims and repeated assurances by the National Highway Authorities, the situation on Highway remains uncertain during this season when it is crucial for apple produce to reach the markets in the rest of the country,” Tarigami said. The GoI should take urgent steps to facilitate the apple trucks to reach the market, he added.

The recommendations of the Dr Swaminathan Commission on distressed agriculture remain mostly unimplemented, he added. “J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have been hit hard, yet apple has not been brought under the recommendations for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).” Tarigami said. Despite big claims by authorities regarding Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) launched in 2016, the main crop of the farmers i.e. apple production has not been covered under this scheme.

There is an urgent need to reintroduce the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) so that rotten apples can be procured and used for juice and jam manufacturing, he added.