In a reassuring statement, the Chief Secretary has said that the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway would shortly be set open for round the year traffic, thereby resolving several logistical issues faced by industries in Kashmir.
Also importantly, he assured the industrialists from the region that the government would take necessary steps to ensure that trucks carrying “perishable items” are able to move to their destinations smoothly without “undue hindrances”.
The top civil officer of J&K made the assurances as he chaired an interactive session with entrepreneurs and investors at the Civil Secretariat.
By making the announcement, the chief Secretary has shared the concern of the fruit growers including those trading in apple and cherry that the commodities are perishable and needs hassle free passage of movement from Kashmir valley to outside. In fact the government must ensure all measures for early, prompt and remunerative marketing of the merchandise every year.
With J&K being the biggest producer of apples in this part of the globe, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, thousands of people are directly and indirectly dependent on it for their livelihoods.
Apple is a popular fruit that remains in demand throughout the year. Of late, the indigenous apple industry literally grapples to stay afloat and as such needs support to sustain various odds and in such a scenario the government’s intervention becomes crucial rather than the choice.
Apple growers in Kashmir face multiple issues including least demand coupled with the increase in the cost of boxes and other packaging material in contemporary times. Damage to the produce by halting the vehicles for days together last year as claimed by traders should in no manner be allowed to happen by the government being a welfare state.
The intervention by the administration is surely needed to help proper incomes of the J&K’s orchardists who have a lot to ponder and invest to keep the produce edible.
In the spring of 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic lockdown fruit growers couldn’t visit their orchards to spray pesticides. This, according to them, led to scab diseases affecting around 60 percent of the crop.
Previous year also, Kashmir’s apple industry faced another challenge due to the unregulated import of Iranian apples.
Thousands of growers had stored their produce in cold storage to send it to outside markets last year. However, due to the alleged import of Iranian apples, the growers said that there were not sufficient buyers for the Kashmiri apples.
The administration should take measures needed to help the orchardists to tide over various challenges that crop up periodically.
