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Fruit market in Sopore lively after a four-month hiatus
Trucks and trawlers are loaded with varieties of stone fruits, apples and pears to leave for multiple destinations across the country from the fruit market in Sopore
After almost four months of hiatus, hustle and bustle is visible at Asia’s second largest fruit market located in north Kashmir’s apple-rich town Sopore. Trucks and trawlers are loaded with varieties of stone fruits, apples and pears to leave for multiple destinations across the country.
Compared to the previous year, growers are ecstatic about fetching handsome rates for their produce this year, which is 20-30% higher than last season.
“Every day, 80 to 100 trucks leave from our mandi and the number will go up,” said Omar, who is working with Sarhad Fruit Company.
The early varieties of the apple are already in the market and within a couple of weeks, varieties like delicious will also reach retailers.
“We are receiving fruit varieties of high-density plants like Gala this time and the rates are good at mandi. We buy Gala for ₹800 to ₹900 per box and Italy is priced over ₹1,000 at mandi,” said Javeed Gani, a buyer, adding that even Pear is being sold at ₹950 to ₹1,000 per box.
“Even American early varieties are fetching around 500 per small box. These rates are 20 to 30 ₹ percent higher as compared to last year.”
Every in the morning, dozens of buyers converge at the mandi to purchase fruit as the produce starts arriving on tractors, load carriers, trolleys and trucks from different parts of the Valley.
“Right now, more than 120 trucks of fruit are exported from Kashmir and this will reach 300 to 400 every day by next month. So far, everything is going smoothly,” said an officer of the Horticulture department.
Sopore fruit mandi President Fayaz Ahmad Malik alias Kakajee is optimistic that this year will be good for apple and other fruit varieties.
“Last year, there were many impediments. Everything is good vis-a-vis fruit so far. We hope that rates will go further up in the coming months so that losses from previous years can be compensated.”
He said last year, they faced issues on the national highway as fruit-laden trucks used to remain stranded for days.
“This time, administration is taking pains and fruit trucks are allowed on the priority. There was a meeting with officials on the passage of fruit trucks on the national highway today as well.”
Compared to the previous year, growers say the produce is 15 to 20% less but still the production will cross 20 lakh metric tonnes.
“The rates are good and we hope the trend will continue in the coming weeks. Last year was pathetic,” said Owais Bhat, who has purchased more than 1,000 boxes.
Showkat Ahmad from Lassipira in Pulwama, who owns a three-acre high-density orchard, said they sold their last week for ₹75 per kg. “We got very good rates for our produce in the orchard itself and are very much happy.”
Kashmir is India’s largest apple grower, fetching revenue over ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 crore to the UT, and contributing around 8-10% of its gross domestic product. The UT produces around 20 lakh metric tonnes of apples per year. Around seven lakh farming families (approximately 35 lakh people) are directly or indirectly associated with the horticulture sector.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries vice president Ashiq Shingloo said during a panel discussion recently that post abrogation of Article 370, tourism industry and horticulture have grown a lot.
“We had 20 lakh metric tonnes annual produce of apples and now we have the support of the government in CA stores. We now have 3 lakh MT capacity of controlled atmosphere cold stores where we can store apples and sell at our will when rates are good.”
