Sopore, Sept 13: Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi, located in Sopore, witnessed a peaceful protest today as hundreds of fruit growers and traders gathered to express deep concern over the massive losses incurred due to the continuous blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Addressing the media, President of the Sopore Fruit Mandi Association, Fayaz Ahmad Malik, painted a grim picture of the crisis. He revealed that thousands of fruit-laden trucks have been stranded for days on the national highway, resulting in estimated losses ranging between ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 crore. “The perishable nature of the produce means every hour of delay is causing irreversible damage to the livelihood of thousands of growers,” Malik said.
In a fervent appeal to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Malik urged the administration to immediately provide a two-day exclusive traffic clearance window for fruit-laden vehicles heading toward Jammu. He stressed that such a measure is essential to prevent the situation from spiraling further out of control.
Malik also called for the urgent restoration of train services from Sopore, arguing that rail connectivity could act as a lifeline for the Valley’s fruit industry. “Kashmir is a major exporter of apples and other horticultural produce. Without reliable transportation, the entire sector is collapsing under financial stress,” he added.
The protesting growers lamented that this season has been one of the worst in recent memory, as repeated disruptions in transportation have left them battling heavy losses and mounting debts. They appealed to the government to step in without delay, warning that any further negligence could cripple the horticulture sector, which is the backbone of the local economy.
The protest concluded peacefully, but with a clear message: unless immediate action is taken, the crisis in Asia’s second largest fruit mandi may snowball into a catastrophe for Kashmir’s agrarian community
