COVID-19: Kashmir’s cherry farmers struggle to sell bumper harvest
Closure of markets nationwide and lack of transportation have hit farmers hard
Srinagar: With coronavirus-induced lockdown across the Kashmir Valley hampering the transport of the delicate cherry fruit across India, Kashmiri cherry farmers are anxiously staring at huge losses during peak harvest season. Last month, in view of the nationwide lockdown and movement restrictions, most cherry-growers dumped their stock in warehouses, hoping to find stability in the market later on.
However, in the ensuing days, movement restrictions have become even more strict, while social-distancing norms have forced most people to remain indoors.
Cherry — the primary crop of the horticulture sector in Indian Kashmir — ripens in May. However, this year, COVID-19 has affected the market. Growers have urged the administration to raise the floor price on cherries to Rs100 per kg, from the usual Rs70-80 per kg.
Worried cherry-growers
Traditionally, the delicate cartons of cherry are shipped to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and other major cities via air cargo and also by rail and road transport. However, as markets in all big cities have been hit by the pandemic, it has caused immense inconvenience to Kashmiri cherry farmers.
According to figures available from the Horticulture Department, Kashmir produces around 13,000 metric tonnes of cherry annually. “Varieties including Mishri and Makhmali that constitute more than 60 per cent of total cherry production and around 40 per cent of double cherries,” Imtiaz Ahmad, a cherry-grower in Baramulla told Gulf News.
Fruit-growers have sought immediate attention of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to do something at the earliest to save the horticulture industry from losses.
“In the past, we had embraced a market intervention scheme from the government, but that did not help us this time during the lockdown,” said Jamal Bhat, another fruit-grower.
Options are minimal
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union (KVFGDU) has requested Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu to chalk out a plan, ensuring minimum losses. The association fears that if the situation is not dealt with promptly, it can affect more than 70,000 families in the Kashmir region.
Bashir Ahmad Basheer, the KVFGDU chairman, said the lockdown has multiplied woes for the fruit growers.
“Cherry has been harvested, but we are not able to sell it in the market, particularly in Mumbai. Due to COVID-19, there is uncertainty all around,” he said.
Basheer, who wore a despondent look, further said that due to the closure of the canning industry, the growers’ community was faced with tough challenges because the ‘double’ cherry variety needed canning facilities.
“I paid the labourers to harvest the fruit because I don’t want them to rot on trees or be damaged by birds,” said Ghulam-ud-din. “The lack of transport facilities has also added to our miseries,” he added.
Lack of logistics
In Kashmir, the cold storage capacity is more than 100,000 metric tonnes, which many experts believe is quite less compared to requirement. “We may have kept the stock in cold storage, but it is costly and a small farmer or trader can’t afford it. Moreover, there is also the risk of the market rate going down drastically. In the recent past, I have had to pay from my pocket,” said Mohammad Yousuf, a fruit trader.
The growers’ community complains that the administration has failed to meet their demands despite repeated follow-ups. Thus, many farmers have been forced to sell the fruit at a fraction of their standard market price.
Recently, fruit-growers in J&K, and Apni Party (JKAP), demanded re-opening of the Mughal Road for transportation of cherry to other parts of India. Cherry-growers fear fruit worth billions of rupees will perish if this key transit route is not opened immediately.
Reacting to these concerns, deputy commissioner of police for Shopian, Choudhary Muhammad Yasin, said the road will be opened for transporting cherry next week. The cherry will be transported to Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu.
Tahir ibn Manzoor is a freelance writer based in Indian Kashmir.