Srinagar, September 26, 2022 (PPI-OT):In view of unannounced economic blockade imposed by the Modi-led Indian government, fruit growers have asked apple growers to slow down the harvesting of apples as many fruit-laden trucks are already stuck on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir for the past many days.

In a video message, Chairman, Sopore Fruit Mandi, Zahoor Ahmad Butt, said that from past 10 days, thousands of trucks laden with fruits are stranded on Srinagar-Jammu highway causing massive losses to growers and buyers across the Kashmir valley.

“We are urging all fruit growers of Kashmir Valley to slow down the process of apple harvesting, to avoid more losses,” he said. The harvesting season peaks during the last days of September and beginning of October. “We still have around 8-10 days of time where we can wait for harvesting,” he said.

“We are also requesting growers, that do not dispatch fruit boxes to fruit markets, as there are already huge number of boxes unattended,” he said.

Reacting to the continued blockade of the highway, all valley fruit growers have also decided to observe shutdown across Kashmir, today.

Notably, the apple industry, worth Rs 8000 corer, is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. As many as 3.5 million people are directly or indirectly associated with the apple trade, contributing about 8% to the region’s GDP.

The fruit growers and traders, however, have faced multiple drawbacks since 2019 when the Modi regime came up with a number of anti-Kashmiris’ policies including their economic blockade.

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Kashmir Media Service
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