Shopian: With mandis shut and local and non-local traders absent, Government’s market intervention scheme has received 6170 apple boxes from Shopian district of southern Kashmir’s district by October 11.
According to official data there are 46640 orchardists in district Shopian which produces 3.5 lac metric ton of apple. Some 21669 hectares are under apple cultivation.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Choudary Mohammad Yasin told Kashmir Reader that till October 11 around 1600 growers had registered for market intervention scheme in the district. He added that his administration has data of 46640 growers and government was buying fruit of everyone.
The apple harvesting season would usually see hundreds of non-local buyers for apple crop in both in mandis and villages. However, this year amid shutdown and uncertainty post abrogation of Art 370 there are no buyers in the rural areas, while farmers are also facing problems to transport the fruit.

Raashid Hassan