According to some researcher’s, apple is a native fruit of Central Asia including Kashmir. Apple fruit in Kashmir has a rich history dating back to Kalhana’s Rajtarangini, in which he makes mention of Apple cultivation during King Nara reign thousand years ago. Same is mentioned by Chinese traveler Heun Tsang.
According to Samuel Stokes (Man who introduced apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh) Apple cultivation was certainly not new to the Indian subcontinent. In fact, it originated in Central Asia more than 4000 years ago, in the area encompassing present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Kashmir.
But this rich heritage of Apple couldn’t save it from the decline of its demand in the harsh markets. Kashmir’s Apple industry is on the brink of collapse due to extremely lowest prices, fruit growers in dire straits!
The fruit industry is moving fast towards extinction if the situation remains same. Nobody dares to care, all voices have become voiceless!. Fruit growers in Kashmir are worried due to less demand of the fruit in several markets causing losses to farmers, some fruit growers opined this. Growers from different areas of Kashmir told us that usually the rates of apples were remaining very high during initial stage of the season but this year that hasn’t happened and growers are very confused.
Bashir Ahmed, a grower from Shopian, said that during the early stage of the season, the demand of the apples was high but this year, I mean 2022, the market is very down by around 40 percent. We can say the rates are more than forty percent down as compared to last year.
Growers say that they are suffering losses as labour rate, transportation charges, cost of paper, cardboard and wooden boxes are touching skies but fruit, especially apple, rates are down due to which growers aren’t even fetching the amount that they have spent on it in the ongoing year,” they said.
Ghulam Hassan Nengroo, President Dachnipora Fruit Growers Association, told recently to a newswire that the horticulture industry is going to collapse in Kashmir, If the government would not intervene as this industry is facing many challenges.
He said that import of fruit from Iran has lowered the demand of Kashmir apple and the land under horticulture is increasing with each passing year and production is also increasing day in and day out but with the lowest demand.
He said that the government must again purchase apples from growers through market intervention schemes so that growers can fetch good rates too as per the quality of the fruit.
The growers are concerned that charges of fertilizers, pesticides, labour, package, transport and other things are currently more than what growers are getting despite spending their full year in their orchards.
President of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union, which is an elected apex body of all Fruit Growers Associations in the Valley, Basheer Ahmad Basheer told newswire that the market is down by almost thirty percent (30%) and growers are very much worried.
He said that the main challenge is that fruit were not reaching on time in the market as fruit laden trucks were allowed towards Jammu for just 3 to 4 hours on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. Though the authorities have ordered now free movement of loaded fruit trucks but still the market situation is same.
If the prevailing scenario continues the extinction of well talked industry is nearer.
Top 6 reasons for economic decline in Apple Industry of Kashmir.
This is first hand data collected from social media poll about the collapse of apple industry.
Iranian Apple Imports in India
Apple growers in India are protesting in this regard from quite some time and demanding immediate action against illegal imports from Iran. According to their claims, Iranian apples are entering India under the cover of Afghan apples thanks to SAFTA (South Asian Trade Agreement), which exempts the goods from import taxes. Northern Indian growers claim that 18,000 tones of Iranian apples have already entered the Indian market without avoiding the Rs. 800,000 import fee imposed on each container. According to sources, Iranian apple imports increased by 573 percent to 30372 metric tonnes in March 2022, with expectations of importing about 4.5 lakh metric tonnes by the end of the month.
Cold Stores
Currently there are more than 50 cold storage units in Kashmir, which are mainly located in industrial areas like SIDCO’s. These giant ventures by business tycoons of Kashmir and outsiders have dented this cash crop more than anyone. They hoard stocks of apple at lower rates and then sell it off at exuberantly at higher prices.
People who work in the apple industry claim that the introduction of cold storages revolutionized the sector and gave hundreds of laborers jobs. But this is not the whole picture. Storing apples was the main task of these storages, but nowadays they have become small mandis in themselves. They control demand and supply which should have the right of farmers and Mandis. They charge too much and they control distribution. Owners of these ventures are buying the supply and later control the market.
It is the market that should decide the rates, not an individual or enterprise. Monopoly kills demand and supply.
Poor grading of apple boxes
This is the mistake on our part, which we need to correct to boost our industry again. In recent years people are in hurry of selling their produce to reap the rewards, but this has lead to poor grading and hence decline in the market. Boxing the apples is considered an art in the valley, and it makes the impression to the buyer. But when the grading is sub standard it further affects the pricing.
Early harvesting
In the recent past pricing of apples is much more at the beginning of the season than later. This has made people greedy and they are plucking apples before ripening. When quality is compromised you can’t expect any goodness. No matter how the market is behaving, one must wait for the proper time. Kaloo delicious is harvested prior to the main delicious variety, but it seems everything nowadays is ripening at same time.
Rise in production cost
Production costs are skyrocketing in the valley, while as the returns are going to the ground. Today the wooden apple box costs more than 100 Rs and cardboard box more than 50 Rs. If simple arithmetic is done for the cost induced for fertilizers, pesticides, harvesting labor, boxes, paper, transport fair etc., then I doubt this is a profitable business anymore. We need to do proper management on our sides, reduce the costs and be honest with the quality, then we may see some profit hopefully.
Government intervention
India is a mixed economic country. A mixed economic system is a system that combines aspects of both capitalism and socialism. A mixed economic system protects private property and allows a level of economic freedom in the use of capital, but also allows for governments to interfere in economic activities in order to achieve social aims. Government must intervene to restore this collapsing industry, else it will vanish forever. Government should also reduce the tax on productions of cost of apple business, as well as provide some subsidies to help farmers.
How to overcome this?
Kashmir is an agrarian economy, livelihood of the majority of people depends on the agriculture. Apple cultivation is the main source of the income. Improvement is needed in many aspects from both sides – farmers and the government. Farmers should focus on the quality produced and government should provide the market that is beneficial.
Organic farming
Organic farming should be introduced, which is the only way out from the creeping prices of fertilizes and pesticides. The nutrients and fertilizers used in organic orchards include compost, animal manure, fishmeal, plant residues, and other naturally occurring nutrients. Plant extracts, yeast fermentations, beneficial insects, mating disruption pheromones, and systems that bait and trap pests are all examples of natural pest management strategies.
Produce best varieties of apples
There are number of apple varieties which rank higher in the market, main focus should be on them. Lately many hybrid varieties were also introduced, which is a good move.
Proper management at Mandis
Reduce costs of production
Proper grading
Timely harvest
Note: This information is mainly collected from social media, it is open to discussion.
