Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 18: The Rs 1200 crore apple industry in Kashmir is facing huge losses due to delay in the transportation of apple as hundreds of trucks have to wait for 2-3 days in Qazigund for crossing Jawahar Tunnel.
The president of the Fruit and Vegetable Association, Fruit Mandi Shopian, Mohammad Ashraf Wani said that the fruit laden trucks are stopped at Qazigund for 24-48 hours before they are allowed to cross the Banihal tunnel. He said normally it takes six days for an apple laden truck to reach the fruit Mandi in Azadpur or other States but due to traffic issues on the NH-44 between Qazigund and Uhampur it takes around 12 days.
Wani said that the delay in reaching the apple to markets across the country leads to loss in the quality of apple as it losses freshness. He said that this leads to the drop in the rates of apple in the markets by Rs 100-200 per box.
He said that Kallu delicious apple variety of Shopian was sold at Rs 1050 per box last year while this year it is being sold at Rs 850 per box due to quality loss caused by delay in the transportation.
Wani said that due to the traffic issues the transportation charges of the apple have also gone up from Rs 100 per box to Rs 130 this year. He said that besides this the delay caused due to halt in Qazigund and traffic jams between Banihal and Udhampur the freight charges per truck is up by Rs 30,000 to 40,000.
He said that the trucks are being stopped despite assurances by the Advisor to Governor Khursheed Ahmad Gania and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan. He said that they were assured that the apple trucks will be given preference on the National Highway and it will be open for them 24 hours for two months of apple transportation season.
The president of the Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, Fruit Mandi Apple Town Sopore, Fayaz Ahmad Malik, said that due to delay caused in the transportation of apple they produce fetch less in the market. He said that the assurances given by the Divisional Commissioner that preference will be given to the apple trucks for plying on highway is not working.
However, Divisional Commissioner said that the trucks are not stopped at Qazigund. The Inspector General of Police Traffic, Basant Rath, said that priority is being given to the fruit trucks on the national highway despite heavy pressure. “We have given priority to fruit carrying trucks despite heavy traffic pressure and landslides and big deras of goats and sheep moving towards Jammu”, he said.
Jammu and Kashmir is the largest apple producing State in India at 11.6 metric tonnes, which accounts for 71 percent of national production and generates a revenue of Rs 1200 Crore.
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