Rotting apples, mounting debts: Handwara Fruit Mandi bears brunt of highway blockade

Handwara, Sep 11: The closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway has brought the Handwara Fruit Mandi—one of north Kashmir’s largest apple markets—to a standstill, with losses already estimated at over ₹500 crore. For growers and traders, the disruption has come at the worst possible time—right in the middle of the harvest season.

On Thursday, at least six trucks loaded with freshly picked apples were forced to return to Handwara after being stranded for several days on the highway. By the time they got back, the fruit had begun to rot. “It’s devastating,” said Mohammed Ameen, President of the Handwara Fruit Mandi. “The apples are gone. The money is gone. How do we recover from this?”

The Srinagar–Jammu highway, the Valley’s only road link to the rest of India, has been repeatedly blocked in recent weeks by landslides, mudslides, and falling boulders triggered by rains.

For Kashmir’s apple sector—which accounts for nearly 70 percent of India’s apple production—these disruptions translate into huge economic shocks.

“This is not just a business loss. It’s our entire year’s labour, our families’ survival,” said Showkat Dar, an orchardist from the outskirts of Handwara. He said many growers take loans from banks or commission agents before the season, expecting to repay once the crop is sold. “When the fruit rots on the road, how do we pay back?” he asked.

Traders and growers at the mandi said they have repeatedly flagged the vulnerability of the highway, particularly during harvest months, but no long-term solution has been implemented. “Every year, the highway blocks, every year we suffer. The government announces committees, meetings, but nothing changes,” said a trader who didn’t want to be named.

Apart from the immediate loss of fruit, the prolonged closure is also hitting Kashmir’s reputation in outside markets. “By the time our fruit reaches Delhi or Mumbai after such delays, buyers hesitate. They say Kashmiri apples don’t arrive fresh anymore,” said Waseem Ahmad, another trader.

The Handwara mandi is one of the main collection and distribution points for apples in north Kashmir, feeding markets in Sopore, Delhi, and other states. With trucks stuck and produce decaying, growers are demanding urgent measures. Their primary demands include immediate highway clearance, compensation for damaged consignments, and, crucially, the creation of alternative supply routes such as dedicated rail freight services or cold-chain air cargo facilities.

“We can’t depend on one fragile road link for a crop worth thousands of crores,” said a senior member of the Fruit Growers Association. “If the government can run parcel trains from Budgam, why not extend them to north Kashmir? Why not create a perishable-goods corridor for horticulture produce?”

Officials in the Horticulture Department acknowledged that the situation is dire. A senior officer said the department has received reports of heavy losses from multiple mandis and is compiling a district-wise assessment. “We are in touch with the Divisional Commissioner’s office. The matter has been flagged at the highest level for both immediate relief and long-term solutions,” the official said.

Meanwhile, frustration is mounting among growers. Some commission agents have hinted at protest action if the government does not intervene swiftly. “We have reached a breaking point,” said a trader. “If this continues, the entire season will collapse before our eyes.”