Move Provides Critical Relief to Kashmir’s Apple Industry Amidst Transport Crisis
SOPORE, Sep 20 : A 14-coach goods train has been dispatched to the Sopore Fruit Mandi to load apple boxes. This action comes just 12 hours after a visit to the market by senior Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinder Raina.
Confirming the development, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sopore, Shabir Ahmad Raina, stated, “A large goods train of 14 coaches is on its way to Sopore to load apple boxes.” The officer termed it a major relief for fruit merchants during what he described as the industry’s “worst phase.”
The dispatch of the train follows weeks of severe anxiety for Kashmir’s apple growers. The crisis has been marked by a critical shortage of vehicles and soaring freight charges, exacerbated by frequent highway closures that left trucks stranded. With no state transport available, private carriers doubled their freight rates to destinations like Delhi and Punjab. This forced many growers to sell their produce at throwaway prices to avoid massive losses.
In an initial response, the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) on Friday rolled out 55 trucks to major fruit mandis in Sopore and Shopian.
While welcoming the government’s intervention, Fayaz Ahmed Malik, President of the Sopore Fruit Mandi, stated that 55 trucks provide only partial relief. He emphasized a daily need for 200-300 vehicles to clear the existing backlog and ensure the timely shipment of the harvest. Malik urged authorities to prioritize apple transport, equating its economic importance to the arrangements made for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.
