Bad days for apple growers never end in Kashmir as some times pandemic and sometimes weather spoils the prospects of a good harvest season for apple growers in valley. This year too not only hot and humid summer but heavy showers and hailstorms after brief intervals too hit hard the apple production in Kashmir. Due to the rapid weather changes and hailstorms after brief intervals the losses to the apple produce could be even more than 50 percent in most of the Southern and Northern districts of Kashmir valley . Already under stress due to the heavy losses caused to apple trade in last three consecutive years of pandemic, the apple growers are reeling under increasing economic stress across Kashmir. As apple growers themselves say that they have no magic wand to reduce the losses suffered by them due to continuing weather vagaries and three consecutive pandemic lockdowns in last three consecutive years, a relief package from the Government can only reduce the losses suffered by the apple growers in last three consecutive years either due to pandemic lockdowns or because of continuing weather vagaries. Teams are constituted for assessing the losses caused to the apple growers and estimates for the losses are also submitted to the Government but the grievances are galore that relief does not reach orchardists in time due to which the apple industry has virtually lost the hopes of revival. The grievances of apple growers as such need to be looked into on case to case basis for the purposes of fast pacing the process of immediate disbursement of relief to the apple growers hit by pandemic lockdowns and as wells as continuing hailstorms.
Since pressing issue for the apple growers after two months from now onwards would be hassle free transportation of apple to different fruit markers of the country, the priority of the government now should be resolution of issues concerning hassle free transportation of apple from Kashmir Valley to the other parts of the country as otherwise growers would suffer further losses and they will find apple trade at a point of no recovery in coming few months.
Since livelihoods of more than 50% of the population in Kashmir is connected with the apple trade, immediate attention and intervention by the Government on complaints about further delay in the disbursement of relief to the apple growers is not only imperative but has also become inevitable and unavoidable. Since apple growers have recently said that unless and until the Lt Governor himself does not look into the pressing issues of Kashmir’s apple industry the announcement of any relief measures won’t bring respite to them in coming months which may prove very critical for survival of the apple trade in Kashmir Valley. Since pressing issue for the apple growers after two months from now onwards would be hassle free transportation of apple to different fruit markers of the country, the priority of the government now should be resolution of issues concerning hassle free transportation of apple from Kashmir Valley to the other parts of the country as otherwise growers would suffer further losses and they will find apple trade at a point of no recovery in coming few months.
