Sopore, Sept 15 : Fruit markets across Kashmir remained locked on Monday after traders and orchardists staged demonstrations against the government’s inability to guarantee unhindered travel for trucks carrying apples and other produce along the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway.
The closure, called jointly by growers’ associations, witnessed large gatherings at Sopore—the Valley’s biggest fruit hub—where distressed orchardists appealed for urgent intervention.
Witnesses described heart-rending moments as farmers, worried about their year’s harvest decaying inside stranded vehicles, wept openly while addressing the crowd.
At the protest site, the head of the fruit growers’ body, Fayaz Ahmad, launched a sharp attack on government, saying the administration had failed to protect one of the Valley’s most crucial industries. He demanded the chief minister’s resignation, arguing that an elected government that cannot secure transport for perishable goods has “lost its moral authority to remain in office.”
He also accused the authorities of discrimination, alleging that vehicles carrying non-perishable commodities like iron and steel were being allowed to pass while fruit trucks were deliberately held up.
Warning that patience was running out, he announced that if the highway was not cleared for smooth passage within the next 48 hours, growers would enforce a Valley-wide shutdown that could bring commercial activity to a standstill.
The agitation was not limited to Sopore. Wholesale markets in Shopian, Kulgam, Handwara, Anantnag and several other districts also suspended work as part of a two-day protest on September 14 and 15.
Growers’ associations said hundreds of trucks loaded with fruit remain stuck on the highway for days, causing “huge financial losses” and damaging the produce.
They stressed that the horticulture sector, which sustains thousands of families and contributes significantly to the Valley’s economy, is facing an unprecedented crisis if the situation is not resolved quickly.(KNS).
