Fruit growers in Pulwama suffer as a transport crisis deepens
Produce stranded at Prichoo mandi
Pulwama: Fruit growers in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are facing severe losses as hundreds of apple boxes lie stranded at Prichoo fruit Mandi due to non-availability of transport.
The prolonged closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and uncertainty over traffic movement has left growers anxious, with fears mounting that their hard-earned produce will rot before reaching outside markets.
Growers at Prichoo Mandi expressed deep frustration over the crisis. “Earlier our fruits used to rot on the highway, now it seems they will rot inside the mandis,” said Ghulam Ahmad, a grower from Pulwama.
He added that despite repeated assurances, no concrete arrangements have been made to ensure smooth transport of perishable fruits.
Another grower, Bashir Ahmad, said that the uncertainty has forced them to sell their produce at throwaway prices. “We are being forced to sell our apples at peanuts because there is no clarity whether the highway will open or whether vehicles will be allowed to ply. The agents and buyers seem presently are taking advantage of our helplessness but they too are unaware about what will be the new challenge,” he said.
According to the growers, hundreds of fruit-laden vehicles have been stuck at Qazigund for over a week, unable to move towards Jammu. “Vehicles have been waiting at Qazigund for the last eight days. One can easily understand what condition the fruit will be in when it reaches the mandis after such a long wait, and what kind of rates growers will fetch for it,” lamented another orchardist.
The Prichoo fruit mandi, which is one of the major hubs for fruit trade in south Kashmir, is now turning into a picture of despair. Stacks of apple boxes lie piled up while growers remain uncertain about how long they can sustain under such conditions.
Farmers have urged the government to step in immediately and arrange alternative transport. “The government must understand that this is not just about fruits, it is about the livelihood of lakhs of people dependent on horticulture. If timely measures are not taken, growers will suffer irreparable losses,” said Mohammad Shaban, another grower.
The horticulture sector, considered the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, is once again at the receiving end of logistical crises. With the season at its peak, growers warn that continued neglect could turn the situation catastrophic.
