Repeated closures of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway strand hundreds of fruit trucks, with over half the produce rotting. Last year's losses: ₹1,500-2,000 crore.
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Repeated closures of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway during the peak apple harvest are leaving hundreds of fruit-laden trucks stranded, with growers counting heavy losses as perishable cargo rots in vehicles.
Landslides and road works have forced the shutdowns during the ongoing season. Bashir Ahmad Basheer, chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union, said a truck carrying apples usually takes 15 to 18 hours to reach the Azadpur Mandi in Delhi. When the highway is closed, the journey can stretch into weeks.
"Due to the prolonged closure, more than half of the fruit rots inside the trucks," Basheer said.
Official data show the road remained closed for 284 days between 2018 and 2024. Basheer said the highway was shut three to four times over the last few weeks because of incessant rains, stranding trucks carrying pears and plums.
Farmers have not yet calculated this season's losses. Last year, the industry estimated the damage between ₹1,500 crore and ₹2,000 crore.
A government-commissioned study by NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS) for 2020-22, tabled recently in the Lok Sabha, estimated that 9.51 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir's apple production is lost after harvest. The study pointed to the challenges growers face in storing and transporting the perishable crop.
Farmers say no reliable alternative to the national highway exists. The historic Mughal Road, which connects Kashmir with Jammu through Poonch, has provided little relief. Growers said 12-tyre trucks carrying apples and other fruits are not allowed to ply on the road because of its sharp curves and difficult terrain.
Indian Railways introduced parcel trains last year, offering some relief. Tariq Ahmad, an apple grower, said more such services are needed between August and November, when the apple harvest peaks. He added that cargo trains would not serve farmers effectively unless railway authorities establish dedicated loading facilities at Sopore, Anantnag, Pampore and Shopian.
Officials said the government is augmenting Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage capacity to reduce post-harvest losses. The Valley currently has a CA storage capacity of around 2.92 lakh metric tonnes, with an additional 30 chambers expected to be added soon.
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