Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, DD, Zahoor Ahamd Rather, President, Jammu and Kashmir Apple Farmers Federation has expressed deep anguish over the halting of fruit-laden trucks on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway (NH-44), urging the administration to prioritise their movement to prevent irreparable damage to Kashmir’s horticulture sector.
He said that while passenger and other vehicular traffic from Jammu side is being allowed, fruit trucks remain halted, resulting in rotting of produce worth crores of rupees.
Rather said that the fruit industry is the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s rural economy and sustains lakhs of families across the Valley. “This callous attitude towards growers is unacceptable. At a time when farmers are already grappling with rising costs of production, market volatility, and natural challenges, such arbitrary stoppages will push them to the wall,” he said.
He added that the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway is the Valley’s only all-weather surface link with the rest of the country, and any blockade paralyses the movement of goods. During the peak harvest season, thousands of trucks carry apples and other fruits daily to markets across India, where even short delays translate into catastrophic losses.
Truck drivers who approached Rather with their grievances complained of deliberate halting at various places. He appealed to the concerned administration to intervene and direct concerned authorities to resolve the issue without further delay.DD