 Summary of this article
- Closure of the Jammu -Srinagar national highway and the floods are estimated to have caused a loss of over Rs 2000 crore
- There is a need for a crop insurance scheme to compensate growers for the losses that they face during natural calamities
- Fruit growers are also expecting announcements on the establishment of cold storage facilities and the upgradation of infrastructure to help farmers secure better incomes.
After facing heavy losses due to the closure of theJammu-Srinagar national highway and in the floods last year, apple growers and traders in Kashmir are hoping that the Central government will announce a compensation package and also build infrastructure to strengthen the horticulture industry.
According to fruit growers, they suffered heavy losses last year as hundreds of trucks remained stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for around 20 days. The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union has put the losses at over Rs 2,000 crore in the heavy damage witnessed to the apple crop in the floods that were witnessed here due to incessant rainfall for several days, and on account of highway closure.
Adnan Qayoom, an orchardist from South Kashmir’s Shopian, says that he suffered a heavy loss due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. |
