SRINAGAR, April 20: While calling for hassle free movement of fruit laden trucks on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, CPI (M) State Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik Saturday said the ban has adversely affected the horticulture sector.
There is a large chunk of apples stored in cold storages, which require urgent transportation to various destinations in the country. The apple crop has been hit badly by the ban. The harvesting of cherry crop is expected to start from May and will continue till June in Kashmir valley and the growers associated with it are extremely woeful as restrictions will hit the transportation of this crop with very short shelf life, he said in a statement issued here.
Malik urged the Governor administration to ensure that these fruit laden trucks may be allowed to ply towards Jammu so that they reach their destinations well in time.
Expressing serious concern over unchecked import of spurious fertilizers and pesticides in the state, due to which farming community is suffering huge losses not only in terms of money spend on purchase of fertilizers and chemicals but also due to adverse damage caused to crops, the CPI(M) leader has sought prompt action from the government to check the menace.
He said that orchardists who suffered huge losses due to last year’s untimely snowfall are yet to receive the compensation and urged the government to release compensation to these affected orchardists without any further delay.
