ISLAMABAD, Sep 9 (APP):The fruit economy of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is once again reeling under massive financial losses, estimated between Indian Rs200 crore and Rs400 crore, due to India’s deliberate economic actions.
The closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH-44) during the peak harvest season has stranded hundreds of trucks carrying apples and other fresh fruits, further intensifying the already dire situation for local farmers.
According to industry associations, the prolonged blockade has not only caused immediate spoilage of perishable produce but also disrupted supply chains, leading to collapsed prices in local markets. Growers and traders say that the failure of the Indian government to provide alternate routes, modern transport facilities, and storage systems is directly responsible for these recurring economic disasters.
“This is the peak season, and every day of delay means our apples lose value,” said Fayaz Ahmad Malik, President of the Sopore Fruit Mandi, the Valley’s largest fruit marketplace.
Malik said more than 250 trucks loaded with fruit were stranded for days, causing unprecedented losses. “We are already staring at losses worth over Rs200 crore, and if the highway does not reopen soon, it may touch Rs400 crore,” he told Kashmir Life.
Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union, told FreshPlaza that nearly 800 trucks carrying perishable fruits had been stuck on the damaged highway.
“This is extremely worrying. Apples and pears cannot survive under these conditions. Unless alternative arrangements are made, our entire harvest will be destroyed,” he warned, calling on authorities to allow goods trains or alternate freight corridors.
Reports published by Kashmir Media Service quoted Malik as saying: “This is turning into a disaster… Apples and pears have a limited shelf life. Every passing day without transport means losses running into crores.”
Each truck carries produce worth between Rs5 and Rs10 lakh, and with 800–1,200 vehicles stranded, the direct value of fruit at risk is estimated between Rs40 crore and Rs120 crore.
However, indirect losses—including price collapses, mandi (market) closures, and increased transport costs—push the total much higher. The Sopore Fruit Mandi, which supplies fruit to markets across India, had to suspend operations, leaving growers without a marketplace to sell their produce. Traders estimate that cumulative losses over just a few days already cross Rs200 crore, while some reports put the figure above Rs400 crore.
Kashmiri growers and economists argue that these losses are not accidental but the product of systematic neglect by New Delhi. Despite repeated disruptions over the years, India has failed to modernize NH-44, construct alternate all-weather highways, or develop cold-chain logistics.
The Mughal Road, which could serve as an alternate route, remains restricted to light six-tyre trucks, whereas heavy ten- and twelve-tyre carriers—essential for transporting bulk fruit to markets in Delhi, Mumbai, and beyond—are not allowed. No refrigerated trains or controlled atmosphere storage facilities have been introduced, leaving Kashmir’s growers exposed to the vagaries of weather and road closures.
Analysts note that this recurring neglect fits into a broader pattern of India using economic strangulation as a tool to punish Kashmiris for their demand for the right to self-determination.
Horticulture is the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, supporting nearly 70 percent of households and contributing billions annually. By allowing the sector to collapse under avoidable infrastructure failures, New Delhi is accused of deliberately undermining the livelihoods of Kashmiri families.
“Every year the same crisis repeats itself, and every year the government in New Delhi does nothing,” said a trader in Sopore. “This is not mere negligence. It is economic warfare against a people who continue to demand their rights.”
Growers’ associations have urged immediate government action, including reopening NH-44 on a priority basis for fruit trucks, permitting heavy vehicles on the Mughal Road, introducing goods train services dedicated to horticultural produce, and expanding cold-chain and refrigerated storage facilities to prevent spoilage.
Without such measures, growers warn that Kashmir’s fruit industry—once the pride of the Valley and a vital contributor to South Asia’s fruit markets—will continue to suffer crippling losses every year.