Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Apple harvesting is currently at its peak in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, with substantial quantities of produce arriving daily at the local Fruit Mandi as the season reaches its busiest stretch.
Fruit growers and dealers said arrivals have exceeded expectations this season, with growers receiving encouraging rates for their produce, a welcome development after recent years in which price volatility and market access issues have weighed on the district’s apple economy.
The Kulgam Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Association appreciated the government’s efforts to keep the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) open throughout the harvesting season, noting that uninterrupted connectivity is critical for transporting apples to markets across the country in a timely manner. Disruptions on the highway during peak season have historically forced growers to either delay sales or accept lower prices as produce risked spoiling in transit, making this year’s smoother logistics a significant relief for the district’s orchardists.
The association said arrivals at the mandi are increasing steadily as the season progresses and urged growers to make full use of the market facilities available to them rather than resorting to informal or unregulated sales channels.
It also cautioned farmers whose crops had been damaged by hailstorms and other natural calamities against selling the affected produce to local vendors at low, often exploitative rates. Instead, the association advised such farmers to bring the damaged produce directly to the Fruit Mandi, where dealers can properly assess the crop’s condition and offer more reasonable rates based on actual quality, rather than accepting whatever price roadside buyers are willing to pay.
For a district where apple cultivation forms the economic backbone for thousands of families, the combination of strong arrivals, steady highway connectivity and organised market access is being seen as a positive signal for this year’s harvest, even as growers affected by hail damage continue to navigate a more difficult season.
