Theft of 400 apple trees: Grower finds stolen saplings dropped back at orchard in Shopian

Shopian, Jun 13: Thieves who stole around 400 high-density apple trees from a wheelchair-bound farmer in south Kashmir’s Shopian district returned the saplings on Thursday night after an emotional plea by the farmer and his family went viral online.

The trees had been taken from the orchard of Sajad Ahmad, a resident of Landoora village, some four kms from district headquarters, during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, family members said.

Ahmad, who has been confined to a wheelchair since a spinal injury in a road accident, had secured a bank loan to set up the orchard, which was his only source of livelihood. “We woke up on Friday morning to find all the trees lying in our orchard,” said the family. “It was a huge relief.” The family also expressed gratitude to police for its relentless efforts to trace the stolen plant material. The family had posted appeals on social media, urging the culprits to return the trees, citing the farmer’s physical condition and financial hardship. However, it remains unclear who was responsible for the theft. High-density apple farming has gained popularity in Kashmir in recent years due to its higher yield and early returns compared to traditional varieties. However, over the last several months, thieves struck several apple farms across south Kashmir and decamped with the saplings, leaving the farmers facing significant financial losses.