Srinagar, Aug 01: The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-Cum-Dealers Union (KVFGDU) has written to the Members of Parliament from Jammu and Kashmir, seeking their urgent intervention to ensure smooth and uninterrupted transportation of fresh fruits on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) during the ongoing fruit season.
In a letter addressed to Lok Sabha MPs Mian Altaf Ahmad Larvi & Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and Rajya Sabha MP Chowdhary Mohammad Ramza, the growers highlighted the critical dependence of Kashmir’s horticulture sector on the highway, describing it as the lifeline for transporting perishable produce to markets across the country.
The growers said harvesting of pear, apple and plum is in full swing, with nearly 100 to 120 truckloads of early apple and pear varieties leaving the Valley every day. It cautioned that these fruits have a very short shelf life and even minor delays in transportation could result in heavy financial losses for growers, many of whom have already suffered due to hail storms and strong winds earlier this year.
KVFGDU noted that while the administration has advised transporters to use the Mughal Road during disruptions on NH-44, the alternative route is unsuitable for large-scale movement of heavy fruit-laden trucks. It added that the horticulture industry contributes nearly Rs 12,000 crore to Jammu and Kashmir’s economy and supports more than seven lakh families directly or indirectly.
They also expressed concern over the current one-way traffic arrangement on NH-44 owing to road maintenance and Amarnath Yatra related restrictions. It claimed that fruit trucks, which earlier reached markets within a day, are now taking up to four days, adversely affecting the quality and market value of early-season varieties such as Galla, Pear, Plum and Babagosha.
Seeking immediate intervention, the growers’ body urged the MPs to raise the issue in Parliament through a Calling Attention Motion or Question, demanding urgent repairs of NH-44, restoration of reliable two-way traffic and better coordination among traffic authorities, highway agencies and district administrations to provide real-time road updates and ensure uninterrupted movement of fresh fruit during the peak marketing season.
