Fruit growers express joy for getting good returns on apple produce this year
Season started on a good note, hope it will end like that, say growers
Srinagar: After witnessing losses in the produce that was kept in cold storage units, the smile on the faces of fruit growers is back as the traditional apples are also fetching handsome amounts in markets.
Fruit growers from different areas of Kashmir said that after high density apples fetched good returns, now traditional varieties are also finding takers in the market.
They said that demand for traditional varieties is much better than last year and as a result the growers are recovering the loses made earlier.
Sameer Ahmad, a fruit grower from Pulwama district said that unlike last year people dealing with fruit business have been visiting orchards to purchase produce.
He said that growers are getting more than double rates compared to previous years.
Many growers said that traditional varieties like Kulu and Delicious are being sent to different Mandi’s and if the same demand continued for this year, it will be big boost for the growers as this industry suffered huge losses during the last few years due to multiple reasons.
They thanked the government for ensuring the hassle free movement of the apple laden trucks this year and hoped that the same process will continue in the coming months as well.
The growers said that though production is less this year but demand is very good as of now and we hope it will continue.
They said that they are fetching good rates compared to last year but as of now most of the traditional varieties are yet to be harvested and if the demand remains the same during the next two months then it will be big boost for this industry.
Kashmir on average produces over 20 lakh metric tonnes of apple every year, a figure that in some years touches 25 lakh metric tonnes. The 2017 economic survey in J&K said that half of Kashmir’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on the apple industry and over 3.5 lakh hectares are under apple cultivation.
Jahangeer Ganaie
