Srinagar, Sep 29: Congress leader and Media Coordinator Kashmir, Dr. Audil Farooq Mir Lasjan has raised serious concern over the deepening crisis in Jammu & Kashmir’s horticulture sector, demanding immediate rehabilitation, compensation and long-term safeguards for fruit growers, who have been hit hard by adverse weather, highway blockades and market disruptions.
In a statement issued here, Dr. Audil said that horticulture contributes nearly 8 percent to J&K’s Gross State Domestic Product and sustains around 35 lakh people directly or indirectly, with apple cultivation alone spread across 3.5 lakh hectares of land.
The sector, he noted, generates more than Rs 10,000 crore annually for the region’s economy and provides employment in packaging, cold storage, transport, and allied industries. “When this sector bleeds, the economy of the entire region bleeds with it,” he added.
He pointed out that despite repeated calamities like ultimately snowfall, hailstorms, heavy rains, flood inundation and the frequent closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway; the farmers continue to suffer huge losses due to the absence of crop insurance.
“While the government claims to promote high-density and high-yield plantation models yet the growers are left abandoned when disaster strikes, burdened with mounting debt and uncertainty,” he observed.
Dr. Audil called upon both the Government of India and the J&K administration to immediately identify and compensate farmers who have suffered in the latest spell of losses, and to announce a special relief package without delay.
He urged the urgent implementation of the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) under PMFBY in Jammu & Kashmir with subsidised premiums, so that apple and other horticultural crops can be brought under protective cover.
Furthermore, the Congress leader demanded restructuring of horticulture loans, a moratorium on repayments, reduction in interest rates and waiver of interest during the crisis period.
Stressing the need for long-term solutions, Dr. Audil appealed for government interventions to promote climate-resilient farming practices, ensure uninterrupted transportation corridors and secure better access to national and international markets.
He warned that without urgent steps, the crisis will push thousands of growers into financial distress, triggering wider economic and social consequences.
“Horticulture is the backbone of Jammu & Kashmir’s economy, and when it suffers, lakhs of families suffer. The government must respond with tangible relief, insurance protection, and sustainable safeguards to secure the future of this vital sector,” he concluded.
