| Growers blame centre, state | | Prices of Kashmiri apples touch all-time low | | Javaid Naikoo
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Oct 28 If apple growers of the Valley are to be believed, the prices of famed Kashmiri apples have crashed to an all-time low, prompting them to blame state and union governments for the annoying development.
As per official figures, apple production in the Valley will touch around 20 lakh metric tonnes this year, which is better than the figures of last six years.
However, the apple growers believe that by encouraging imported apples in markets across the country, the central government has dealt a severe blow to Kashmiri apple.
“Union government has destroyed Kashmir’s agriculture sector which is known for apple production. They have encouraged imported apples in the middle of the season. We are witnessing lowest ever prices of our apples in markets across the country,” Ghulam Nabi, an orchardist from Shopian told Early Times.
President fruit growers association Baramulla, Muhammad Yousuf Dar blamed the state government for the unprecedented fall in prices of apples in reputed markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Amritsar, and Ahmadabad.
He said had there been storage and rail transportation facilities available for fruit growers of Kashmir, the conditions would have been different.
“State government has no plans to construct cold storages here. They don’t understand that by transporting the fruit through trains from Jammu can reduce freight charges,” Dar said.
According to details available, there are only eight cold storages available in Kashmir in private sector. The storages, however, charge exorbitantly, forcing the growers to sell their fruit on cheap rates than to store in the storages.
The state government is yet to finalize rates for cold storages of Kashmir at par with Delhi and other parts. “I am in this business from last 25 years. I have seen ups and downs in the prices of apples. But this year we are witnessing huge dip in the prices,” said Mushtaq Ahmad of south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Minister for Horticulture, Abdul Rahman Veeri could not be contacted for his comments.
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