Apple is more than a horticultural crop for Kashmir. The people are emotionally attached to the apple. The reason being the importance of the apple to the economy of the valley. The apple industry holds a pivotal position in the economy of a valley. Almost every household is beneficiary of the apple industry, from labourers to street vendors to pesticide dealers to saw mill owners to packing material dealers to truck owners to orchard owners. The money generated by it reaches every nook and corner of the valley and beyond, hence such a great importance it holds in the lives of kashmiri people. It wouldn’t be wrong to say, the good market prices of apple are akin to good economic conditions of the people of the valley. The apple farming is not an easy job at all. It requires immense hard work to produce the quality fruit. After the successful establishment of an apple orchard of quality plant material. The orchard is given regular doses of fertilizers in different times of the year. The plants are trained every year and unnecessary vegetative growth is removed to have the quality produce. Come the spring season, the conditions are favourable for the fungal diseases in apple plants. The presence of fungi in the area is a threat for occurence of fungal diseases in plants. The apple farmers start spraying the fungicides from the March- april upto July-August depending on the weather conditions. If the weather remains moist then more sprays are to be made. During the summer season ( June , July and August), the insecticide are to be sprayed to eliminate the damage by the insects. As hot temperatures are suitable for the insect infestations. The substandard chemicals ( fungicides and pesticides) aggravate the problem. After having done all the hard work, the farmers are still many a times not able to control the fungi and insects fully in their orchards. Which reduces the proportion of grade one apple. The farmers leave no stone turned in some how managing to produce the quality produce. The input costs have increased tremendously from last few years, the returns haven’t increased proportionally. The flacuating market prices adds to the woes of the traders. There are no floor prices below which the market prices can’t go. Which would have made sure that the farmers in worst case scenario are at break even point ( No profit, No loss). Apple being the local produce of the nation should be getting all the policies and economic interventions in its favour. But the things seem to be going in the reverse directions. The apple farmers are claiming that the India govt has imported large amount of apple from Iran. As this was not enough, they have reduced the duty on the apple imports considerably. Which brings the apple growers of Kashmir and Himachal in competition with apple growers of Iran. Which shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The local produce should have been the first priority of the government. The vocal for the local have been thrown to the wind in case of apple industry. The Kashmiri farmers are claiming that there fruit trucks are being unnecessarily stopped on NH-44 for days together which results in spoilage of the apple before it reaches the market. So the apple fetches very low money as it’s quality gets compromised by unnecessary stoppings on its way to market. The anti-farmer steps would results in worsening the condition of apple farmers in valley. A variety of apple, American, was fetching good money till recently. It’s main consumer is Bangladesh.They have increased the taxation on it, which has reduced the returns considerably. The GOI should hold talks with its counterpart in Bangladesh regarding it. So that the issue could be addressed. The authorities seem to be interested in it. Many other allied fields would also be severely affected by the fall of apple in the market. The apple returns results in good economic conditions of the whole valley, as apple returns have wind fall effects reaching almost every household of the valley.
The love of kashmiri people for the apple orchards have resulted in increase in the tree cover of the valley. The degraded areas are reclaimed by the people for the cultivation of the apple. The Karewas which are totally dependent on the rains are being turned into beautiful orchards. Many areas which were devoid of any trees are now blooming with apple and other horticultural tree crops. One could find the water storage tanks are built up in these areas for irritating or spraying different chemicals to the trees. The tree cover enhancement would also help in trapping more and more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, hence it would help us in achieving the goal of net zero carbon generation. One could find poplar and willow plantations almost every where in Kashmir. The farmers are raising the plantations with a hope that they will get good returns. The blooming apple industry would make sure that they get so. The willow and poplar are being used for making boxes for the apple to transport them to different parts of the country. Though a sizable proportion of the boxes market is captured by the cardboard boxes. But there are areas where only wooden boxes would do the job, due to rough terrain and climatic conditions. A fall in the apple industry would result in less demand for the poplars and willows. So the poplar and willow farmers would take a hit hard too. Which would result in lesser willows and poplars being raised. The Kashmiris most important resource though are not it’s apple or any other good or the valley. The most important resource of Kashmir have always been the Kashur( The people of Kashmir). Not very long ago, the kashmir was famous for its handicrafts. Not only famous, but the handicraft industry was contributing substantially to the economy of a region. The carpet making was carried in every other household. Now it is restricted to some pockets of valley only. If apple stops to bring the good returns, the apple industry would then pave way for some other venture. Which will give good returns, hopefully. The failing of apple industry is failing of its consumers too. The consumers of apples have to stand up with the it’s producers. Else, the both will suffer. The consumers longing to cherish the fruit varities of Kashmir need to stand up with their producers. A farmer’s distress is country’s distress. The farmer’s are the one who are producing the delicacies which we are served at least two times a day. A farmer’s distress must be paid immediate attention. The bad phase of the apple farmer’s would be over soon, God willing.
(The author teaches environmental science at Govt Degree College Kargil. Views are his own)