Supply snag sends prices of essentials soaring across Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 4: Prices of essential food items have skyrocketed across Kashmir in the past week following the closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, leaving consumers burdened and traders on the defensive.

Eggs, which were selling at Rs 6 apiece a week ago, now cost Rs 8. Chicken prices have jumped from Rs 130 to Rs 170 per kilogram. Onions, previously at Rs 30 per kg, are now retailing at Rs 70, while collard greens (haakh) touched Rs 100 per kg. Pulses too have seen a sharp upward swing.

The spike comes as the Valley reels under yet another prolonged disruption of its only most usable road link to the rest of the country. On average, the highway remains closed for over one and a half months every year. With Kashmir importing nearly 70 percent of its food items from outside, the region is left acutely vulnerable whenever this lifeline is blocked.

“This is nothing short of loot. How can onion prices double within days? The authorities are turning a blind eye under the garb of deregulation,” said Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Bemina, while buying vegetables at a local market.

“We are daily wagers. The hike in chicken, eggs and vegetables is unbearable. It looks like hoarders are being allowed to fleece people,” added Rukhsana.

Traders, however, insist that the crisis is largely due to the highway blockade. “The closure has choked supplies. Trucks carrying essentials are stranded for days, creating scarcity in the Valley. Prices are bound to rise when demand is high and supply is thin,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a vegetable dealer at Parimpora mandi.

A poultry trader, Bashir Ahmad, echoed the sentiment: “We are not hoarding. We are also buying at higher rates from suppliers stuck outside. The blame lies with poor connectivity and lack of alternative routes.”

Consumers argue that authorities must step in to monitor prices and prevent exploitation. “If the government does not regulate the market, this highway crisis will keep becoming an excuse for profiteering every time,” said Nisar Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Lal Chowk.

With supplies disrupted and prices soaring, the highway closure once again exposes Kashmir’s heavy dependence on imports and the absence of a robust local supply chain to cushion shocks. Until authorities act, ordinary consumers remain at the receiving end of both poor infrastructure and alleged market manipulation.