Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 8: CPI (M) leader, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has urged Jammu and Kashmir administration to take immediate steps for the revival of Horticulture Sector in the region.
In a communiqué to the Advisor, K. K.Sharma and Principal Secretary, Horticulture Department, he brought their attention towards the pressing problems faced by fruit growers and traders.
“Despite the last three decades of uncertainty, the Horticulture Industry in Jammu and Kashmir which is considered as the backbone of the region’s economy was flourishing till recently. However, the decline started from November 2018, when the apple crop and trees received damages due to unseasonal snowfall and the fruit industry in Kashmir faced economic consequences due to the lockdown imposed after the Centre abrogated Article 370 last August. As if it was not enough, another unseasonal snowfall on November 7 last year followed by COVID-19 lockdown in March this year wreaked havoc on the fruit industry in Kashmir,” the letter reads.
“Now this season the spread of scab in orchards due to the spray of fake and substandard pesticides and fungicides has broken the back of the fruit industry in Kashmir. This happened due to the wrong advice given to the farmers by the concerned Government departments about the spray of anti-scab sprays. The agencies who approved these sprays must be made liable to pay compensation to the growers, who have suffered huge losses,” the letter added.
“From transportation, and a slump in rates, fruit growers faced multiple problems in selling produce last season. Last year sky-rocketing freight prices and undue stoppages of apple-laden trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway badly hit Kashmir’s fruit growers even today, despite assurances trucks are getting halted for days together. The halting of fruit laden trucks on the highway created a crisis-like situation as delays caused huge losses to the perishable fruits,” it said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel