Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector, the backbone of the region’s economy, has suffered staggering losses due to the recent closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, with overall damages estimated at nearly Rs 1,500 crore.
Speaking to Kashmir News Observer (KNO), President of Asia’s second-largest Fruit Mandi Sopore, Fayaz Ahmed Malik @ Kaka Ji, alleged that the government failed to act with the seriousness the crisis demanded, leaving growers and traders to bear the massive financial blow.
Malik said the horticulture industry, vital to the Union Territory’s GDP, grappled with the mounting losses as perishable fruit shipments remained stranded for days. “If the administration could not ensure the smooth reopening of the National Highway, they should have sought immediate defence assistance to avoid such chaos,” he said, adding that the government’s delay cost the sector heavily during its peak fruit season.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Kaka Ji revealed that Sopore Fruit Mandi alone suffered losses of around Rs 600–700 crore, while the overall losses across Kashmir have touched an estimated Rs 1,500 crore. “The government must take a serious view of this crisis and provide every possible compensation to the growers”, he urged.
He further demanded that authorities should waive off Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans for fruit growers and simultaneously seek a special relief package from the central government to salvage the horticulture industry.
It is noteworthy that the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the Valley’s only all-weather road link to the rest of the country, witnessed repeated closures in recent weeks due to incessant rains and landslides, choking the transportation of apples and other perishable produce at a time when Kashmir is in the middle of its peak harvest season.
