Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Jan 25: Stating that the Horticulture sector is facing a deep crisis, the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union (KVFG) has called for compensation for flood-hit orchards, crop insurance, debt relief, and major investments in cold storage facilities in the upcoming Budget.
The Union has submitted a detailed memorandum to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, urging substantial and targeted financial allocations to support the sector, which it described as the backbone of the region’s economy.
According to KVFG, horticulture directly and indirectly sustains over seven lakh families and is under unprecedented stress.
Union Chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer outlined a 15-point charter of demands, terming them crucial for the sector’s survival and long-term sustainability.
The memorandum attributes the current distress primarily to the devastating deluge of August-September 2025, which caused estimated losses of nearly Rs 2,000 crore.
The widespread crop damage and a 20-day closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway left fruit-laden trucks stranded, leading to massive spoilage.
The Union has urged a “reasonable and comprehensive compensation package” for affected growers and dealers.
Beyond immediate relief, KVFG has called for structural reforms and sustained investment.
It has proposed a crop insurance scheme for horticulture on the lines of agriculture insurance and the revival of the Market Intervention Scheme to safeguard growers against price collapses of lower-grade apples.
A major focus of the demands is infrastructure development.
The Union proposed the establishment of a dedicated “Horticulture Estate,” modeled on industrial estates, with single-window clearances for Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores, cold storages, canning units, and juice plants.
It also sought budgetary support for setting up 150-200 new CA and cold storage facilities, particularly in north Kashmir, under a cooperative society model with government subsidies.
Addressing rising input and logistics costs, the memorandum requested that Tree Spray Oil be treated as an agricultural product, subsidies on fertilizers and pesticides, promotion of organic fertilizers, and financial support for standardized cardboard packaging with trays to replace expensive wooden boxes.
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