Highway closure hits J&K apple trade, prices crash as trucks remain stranded for days

Apple growers are traders are reeling under heavy losses due to the nearly month-long closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway as consignments continue to arrive late and damaged at the Jammu fruit mandi.

The 270-km highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, was extensively damaged by record rainfall on August 26–27, particularly between Nashri and Udhampur. Though traffic was partially restored last week, hundreds of trucks carrying apples remained stranded for days, causing widespread spoilage of the perishable fruit.

Traders count mounting losses

"This is the peak apple season, yet trucks that left Kashmir on September 1 arrived on September 16. The road has done more damage than the rain," Sandeep Mahajan, a trader at Narwal Mandi in Jammu, told PTI. He estimated nearly 60% of the produce to be damaged, forcing sales at throwaway prices.

Another trader, Randeer Gupta told PTI that their investments had virtually collapsed. "Boxes worth ₹1,000 are selling at ₹100–₹200. Trucks are taking more than 10 days to reach Jammu. I don't think we'll recover even 5% of our money," he said.

Veteran trader Manik Gupta, with five decades in the business, described the current season as "total destruction". He said growers are now reluctant to dispatch produce, with nearly 60% of the crop already destroyed.

Calls for government action

Traders noted that they had made advance payments — some funded through loans — months ago, leaving them exposed to massive losses. They also warned that controlled atmosphere storage units in Kashmir are already full, compounding the crisis.

"The apple season lasts just three months. Smooth transport of horticulture produce, which is the backbone of J&K's economy, must be ensured," Manik Gupta told PTI.

With farmers, traders, and the wider supply chain under pressure, stakeholders have urged the government to step in immediately to prevent further damage to one of the region's most vital sectors.

The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has already set up a committee to estimate the losses due to the closure of the highway.

The Union Territory produces around 70% of the country's apples and remains a major exporter. Around 35 lakh families are associated with the trade in the Valley. The UT's apple production stood at 20.40 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.