Freight for Valley fruit soars 140 pc

Buyers in Delhi make profit of growers' misery

BILAL HUSSAIN
Srinagar: In the wake of forced economic blockade on Kashmir the freight for fruit from Valley to Delhi has gone 140 per cent up from Rs 25/box some months ago to Rs 60/box, even as the rates for apple have come down at Azadpur Mandi, Delhi. Former president, New Kashmir Fruit Association, Imtiyaz Ahmad, confirmed to Greater Kashmir that the freight has gone up. "Drivers demand high transportation cost as they are risking their lives," he said. He said, "Due to lesser number of vehicles taking fruit from Kashmir to outside the fruit growers/dealers have suffered enormous losses with most of the fruit in the Valley getting rotten." Imtiyaz said: "At present about 25 fruit laden trucks move from Valley to outside daily which is far less than the past year." He said last year during the same period over 150 trucks laden with apples would go to different states daily from Kashmir. "There is no way out for us except to pay for higher transportation costs," said a grower, Tariq Ahmad. President New Kashmir Fruit Association, Bashir Ahmad Bashir said that almost entire pear produce in the Valley has gone waste. Worried about the falling rates, he said, "Merchants at Azadpur Mandi are exploiting the traders from Valley by giving them throwaway price for their produce."
He said at present the Kesri apple variety per box is sold at Rs 100 while as during the same period last year it was sold at Rs 200 per box. "It is a matter of grave concern for the growers and fruit traders of the Valley," Bashir adds. "Valley apple growers are not plucking fruit from trees so as to prevent it from getting rotten in the boxes for want of transpiration," he said.