‘Freight, packaging, labour costs exceed returns’
Srinagar: The apple industry in Kashmir, considered the backbone of the region’s economy, is witnessing one of its worst seasons in over a decade as prices have crashed by nearly 70 per cent and demand has hit rock bottom, according to growers.
From Sopore to Shopian, Pulwama to Kulgam, growers said the situation has left them in despair, with many unable to even recover their basic production and packaging costs.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Bashir Ahmad Basheer, president of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, said the current market scenario has pushed the entire industry to the brink of collapse.
“In my entire life, I have never seen the demand for Kashmiri apples so low,” Basheer said. “Growers are not even getting back what they have spent on producing and packing the fruit. The rates have fallen drastically—by at least 70 per cent compared to last year. This is an alarming situation.”
He said the rising cost of freight, packaging material, and labour has made matters worse.
“Freight charges continue to remain high as compared to last year, box rates have shot up, and labour is expensive—but the rates offered in outside mandis are far below our cost price. The entire industry is bleeding,” Basheer added.
In Pulwama, one of south Kashmir’s key apple-growing districts, orchardist Abdul Rashid Bhat said the prices offered this year are “unbelievably low”.
“Last year, I sold an apple box for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,400. This year, I am being offered just Rs 300 to 400 for the same quality. It doesn’t even cover the cost of plucking, grading, and packaging,” he said. “Many growers are thinking of not sending their produce outside at all because freight and other expenses themselves cost around Rs 300 to 400 per box.”
Similarly, in Shopian, known as the “apple bowl of Kashmir”, growers say the situation is pushing them toward financial ruin.
“Our entire year’s hard work has gone in vain,” said Showkat Ahmad, a grower from the Keller area. “The apples are of good quality this season, but there is no demand in Delhi, Azadpur, or Chandigarh mandis. The market has completely crashed.”
Growers have urged the government to step in urgently and safeguard the industry from further decline.
They added that the current crisis is not just an economic concern but a livelihood issue for lakhs of families across Kashmir who depend directly or indirectly on the fruit sector.
“The government seems to be a mute spectator,” he said. “If immediate measures are not taken, Kashmir’s apple economy—which contributed thousands of crores annually—could face irreversible damage.”
According to official figures, apple cultivation provides direct or indirect employment to around 3.5 million people in Jammu and Kashmir. However, this year’s market downturn has sparked growing fears of a deepening rural economic crisis—(KNO)