With the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway closed for several days due to heavy rainfall, Kashmir's fruit industry is demanding alternative transport options to ensure apples reach markets on time.
Hundreds of trucks carrying apples have been stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and the Mughal Road. Growers estimate around 800 vehicles remain stuck. September marks the peak of apple harvesting in the Valley, and the suspension of highway traffic has added concern for growers.
"Since the highway is closed, growers are worried. There is a need for alternate transport options so that the fruit supply is continuous," said Bashir Ahmed, chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union. He added that the road infrastructure needed to be improved so that rainfall does not halt movement.
Ahmed also stressed the need for rail access. "We want full-fledged direct train service to different parts of the country. They are planning to start good trains, but we want a full-fledged service, so that our produce reaches across the country on time," he said.
On the Mughal road, which connects Kashmir with Jammu, trucks with more than 10 tyres are not allowed. "Most of our produce is transported in heavy trucks with 10 to 16 tyres. So, round-the-clock movement of at least 10-tyre trucks on the Mughal road should be allowed," he added. Officials estimate that Kashmir produces around two million metric tonnes of apples annually. The apple sector is valued at about Rs 10,000 crore (US$1.2 billion).
Fruit Mandi Sopore president Fayaz Ahmad Malik said, "In the peak season, we have 300 trucks leaving per day from Kashmir for different parts of the country. We need train services so that apples reach their destinations across the country. There should be direct trains for ferrying fruit."
Political parties in the Valley have also raised the issue. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti wrote on X that, "Fruit growers have been facing severe financial losses every year due to the closure of NH-44. Unfortunately, this year the road has once again been closed, leaving hundreds of fruit-laden vehicles stranded, resulting in inevitable losses." She urged the Central Government to expedite rail connectivity for apple shipments.
Northern Railways has announced it will launch a daily Joint Parcel Product - Railway Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) between Budgam and New Delhi by the end of September.
Source: The Tribune