In a remarkable season for Kashmir’s horticulture industry, approximately 9 lakh metric tons of fruit, valued at around 600 crores, has been dispatched over the past four months, with Sopore Fruit Mandi alone contributing 4-5 lakh metric tons to this total.
The president of Sopore Fruit Mandi, Fayaz Ahmed Malik, known as Kaka Ji, said that with the peak apple season, around 250 trucks are loaded with fruit daily from Sopore Mandi, the second-largest fruit market in Asia, where prices are robust and meeting expectations.
He said this positive trend is due to favourable market rates and a steady demand despite less-than-ideal weather conditions this year. “The rates, including those for early varieties, are strong and align with expectations,”
Malik compared this to last year’s decline, saying they have seen a considerable improvement in rates. “This is a relief for growers,” he said.
“Despite a drier season, nearly 95% of the apples are meeting high-quality standards. The high production and favourable rates are positive indicators for an industry that supports a vast number of families in Kashmir,” he said, adding, “Horticulture is a year-round sector in Kashmir, and we are hopeful these rates will stay favourable.
Asked if they face any challenges, Kaka Ji said the transportation issues that previously hindered the supply chain have been improved, with goods now reaching their destinations in three days rather than four.
He, however, expressed that if the Line of Control (LoC) trade were active, it would significantly boost the local economy by opening new avenues for Kashmir’s fruit production to reach Gulf countries.
“Our production is vast and should reach every corner,” he stressed, adding that while the Indian subcontinent is already a major consumer, the region’s potential stretches far beyond.
Currently, exports reach only nearby countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, but with LoC trade, Kashmir’s produce could access larger, high-demand markets in the Gulf and can further diversify and strengthen the economy.
Malik also called for further investment and attention from the government to support the mandi’s infrastructure needs. He urged the administration, particularly Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the horticulture minister, to address the mandi’s infrastructure gaps, noting that the lack of proper facilities limits its growth potential.
