Shopian: The coronavirus may take a sizeable bite off the indebted apple industry in Kashmir. According to owners of cold storages based at Lasipora and Aglar, 80 percent of the apple stock is still lying with them amid the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus.
Many traders whom Kashmir Reader contacted on phone said they were apprehensive about the stored fruit. “The restrictions are being intensified day by day and a large chunk of our fruit is lying in stores,” Imtiyaz Ahmad, who has stored his apples at Lasipora cold storage (in Pulwama district), told Kashmir Reader.
Surpassing the previous figures of one lakh metric tonnes of apple, around 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of apple was stored this year in cold storages based at Industrial Growth Center Lasipora (Pulwama), Aglar in Shopian district, and in some parts of north Kashmir.
“There is, so far, no decline in rates. But the coming days will tell whether the trucks can supply the fruit to different parts of India,” said Javid Ahmad, a trader who has stored apples in cold storage.
Izhan Javid, chief executive officer of a company trading in apples, said that almost 80 percent of the stored apple is still lying in the valley. “If restrictions continue to be imposed, it would lead to heavy losses. Normally apple can be stored for a maximum of seven months, after which it starts getting spoiled,” he said.
Izhan added that they have stopped operations of apple packing and transportation on the government’s directions. “We have been told that mandies in India may be closed within few days and so we should stop sending apples, which we have done,” he said.
Growers and apple traders are worried about the fruit but they are even more worried about the coronavirus. “Fruits will grow again but not our lives. I request others to also wait for some time,” said Shahid Ahmed, who has stored 500 apple boxes in cold storage.
According to figures provided by owners of cold storages, the 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of apple stored in the valley would fetch around half a billion rupees to Kashmir.

Raashid Hassan