Apples Rotted on Wheels: Highway Closures Turn 2025 Into a Lost Year for Kashmir Fruit Trade

Srinagar, Dec 31, KNT: The year 2025 will be remembered as one of the most difficult years for fruit dealers and apple growers in the Kashmir Valley, as repeated closures of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway crippled the horticulture sector and pushed thousands of traders into heavy financial distress.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only major surface link connecting the Valley with markets across the country, remained intermittently closed throughout the year due to landslides, heavy rainfall and harsh winter conditions. These recurring disruptions severely affected the movement of apples and other fruits, particularly during peak harvest and marketing seasons.

Fruit-laden trucks were ‘forced’ to wait for days at multiple points along the highway, with drivers stranded in long queues and consignments deteriorating with each passing hour. Dealers said that delays of even a few days proved disastrous for perishable produce, leading to sharp declines in quality and market value.

Several fruit dealers reported that they were compelled to abandon apple boxes altogether as spoilage set in and transport uncertainty continued. In some cases, apples were dumped along roadsides or near orchards after prolonged delays made them unfit for sale, turning months of hard labour into complete loss.

The transport crisis also triggered a steep fall in prices, with growers receiving significantly lower returns compared to previous years. Dealers said apples that would otherwise fetch premium rates were sold at throwaway prices, while many consignments failed to reach mandis at all.

Trade bodies and growers’ associations estimated cumulative losses running into hundreds of crores of rupees, warning that repeated highway disruptions have weakened confidence in Kashmir’s fruit supply chain. Many dealers described 2025 as a “washout year,” stating that earnings barely covered production and transport costs.

The situation once again highlighted the vulnerability of Kashmir’s horticulture economy to a single highway link. Fruit traders renewed demands for reliable all-weather connectivity and stronger infrastructure to protect the Valley’s most important economic sector from weather-related disruptions.

As the year ends, fruit dealers across the Valley say the scars of 2025 will take time to heal, with many hoping that lessons from this difficult year translate into concrete measures to safeguard their livelihoods in the years ahead. [KNT]

© Kashmir News Trust (KNT). Unauthorized use without attribution is prohibited.