According to official figures, Kashmir produces around 20 lakh metric tons of apples generating Rs 8000-9000 crore every year. But this year, the apple industry, which supports almost 70% of people in the state including growers, transporters, fertilizer dealers, packagers, commission agents, labourers and others hase been overshadowed by low production, fungal diseases, shut down and low market.

As the harvest season has already set in this year, apple growers say that the production is almost 60% lower than the previous year’s production, out of which 30% of the crop is hit by the black plague, a fungal disease, with almost no prospects of exporting it. The reason for low production and fungal diseases, growers say, is spurious fungicides and the untimely heavy snowfall in November last year in Kashmir which also caused large scale damage to apple trees.

Also read: Kashmir: Lockdown Forces Apple Industry to Face More Challenges

The trade was hit last year as well due to the months-long lockdown after the Union government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status in August 2019. The industry suffered significant losses during the peak season owing to the shutdown, the internet ban in Kashmir and the closure of fruit mandis (markets) after the militants issued threats to apple growers.

Hopes of being compensated this year for last year's losses are dim due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, which, despite being eased, has shattered the country’s economy with growers not expecting good returns from this year's produce.



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