Srinagar, Sep 15: The horticulture industry in Kashmir, the economic backbone of the region, is facing a severe crisis as the prolonged blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) has left thousands of fruit-laden trucks stranded, causing losses estimated to be hundreds of crores of rupees and threatening the livelihoods of countless families.
The strategic NH-44, the only all-weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India, has been closed for extended periods since late August due to torrential rains and multiple landslides. A nearly 300-metre stretch in the Udhampur district suffered massive damage, and despite temporary repairs, the movement of heavy vehicles remains severely restricted. The closure has occurred during the peak harvest season for highly perishable varieties like Bagogosha pears and early Gala apples. With hundreds of trucks stuck on the highway for days, the produce inside is rapidly deteriorating.
Fruit Growers and Dealers Association has already stated that losses have crossed ₹200 crore and could reach ₹400 crore if the situation is not resolved immediately. The crisis forced Asia’s second-largest fruit market, in Sopore, to suspend trading to prevent further losses.
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union provided an even starker assessment, estimating the sector’s losses this season at nearly ₹700 crore. Union president Bashir Ahmad Basheer warned that the industry is being pushed toward a crisis due to the government’s “failure to ensure smooth transportation of perishable goods”.
For growers, this is a devastatingly familiar situation. One grower from Sopore lamented, “It feels like 2022 all over again. We suffered huge losses then, and today we are staring at an even bigger disaster” . The financial impact is immediate and personal; Abdul Rashid, a grower from Rafiabad, reported that the price for a box of apples has plummeted from ₹600 to ₹400.
The frustration is directed at the authorities for what is perceived as a lack of long-term planning. Growers and traders have consistently demanded the development of alternative routes, permission for heavier trucks on the Mughal Road, and, most critically, the use of railway services to transport fruit consignments with the increment to the frequency not only to New Delhi but to other States of India.
Amid the growing crisis; CPI(M) senior leader and MLA Kulgam, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, has called upon both the Union and Jammu and Kashmir governments to urgently find a solution to the problem.
He expressed his deep sympathies with the horticulturist community and demanded adequate compensation for their losses. Furthermore, he emphasised the need to increase the frequency of van services to various states across India that form crucial markets for Kashmiri apples, ensuring the produce can reach consumers despite road disruptions.
This demand aligns with calls from industry unions, which have urged the government to treat fruit trucks as a priority and to implement a comprehensive crop insurance scheme to protect farmers from such frequent natural calamities.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has indicated that while the highway may reopen for light vehicles, full restoration will take more time. However, for many growers, this delay is a death knell for their annual harvest, Tarigami said, adding, “The crisis underscores the fragile dependence of Kashmir’s economy on a single vulnerable highway. With horticulture supporting nearly 70% of households in the region, the repeated disruptions caused by climate-induced disasters are not just logistical challenges but profound threats to the economic stability of the entire Valley”.
He maintained that the community now waits to see if the government’s actions will match the scale of the disaster.
