By: Sameer Lone
Srinagar: After a devastating spell of Covid-19 that crippled the economy in the last two years, this year has brought cheers to apple growers as the market has been a bumper season for apple orchardists and traders.
The horticulture market started at a good note this year with apple rates witnessing a steep hike as soon the market opened up this year.
The traders and farmers at the local fruit mandis— at Parimpora in Srinagar, Sopore in north Kashmir and Shopian in south Kashmir continue to remain abuzz with apple trucks being loaded and unloaded for the trade.
The rates in outside markets like Delhi, Bangalore and Jalandhar have been satisfactory for the apple traders. The rates this year, according to many orchardists, have been much better than the last year.
The production this year is also high than the previous years, said Javaid Ahmed, a trader.
He said they suffered heavy losses last year but this year the market has been promising.
The traders are worried about the rising fuel prices that have witnessed a double increase which has led to the all time high fare rates. “We mostly rely on trucks from outside the state, even from Jammu. The fares have increased manifold,” said Tajamul Hussain, another trader.
An executive member of a Traders Association said that while the market has been picking up, the industry was running in huge losses because of the shutdown and other crisis. “We are trying to cope up with the previous losses. We suffered like anything. This market if continued at the same note will help us to recover from the losses,” he said.
Ali Mohammad Malla, who has been into Apple growing and trading business since decades said that this year Almighty has been very kind to them. “The quantity of apple production was better and so were the rates later,” he said.
Asked how are they prepared for the next year, he advised people to follow the pesticides schedule as told by the experts. He also said that Horticulture Department must reach out to the orchadists in the winters only for better planning. “Apple is a very prone to disease. One has to take very care of it. A slight mistake in pesticides may damage the crop like anything. So one must take advices from experts from time to time,” he said.
