Srinagar, April 27: A delegation of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union on Tuesday met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during his visit to the Valley, seeking urgent policy interventions to address challenges facing the region’s horticulture sector.
The delegation, led by its chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer, submitted a detailed memorandum outlining a wide-ranging charter of demands. The meeting was attended by senior officials including representatives from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, the horticulture department, and the agriculture department of Jammu and Kashmir.
Key demands highlighted
The growers raised concerns over declining productivity, rising input costs, and inadequate infrastructure. Among the प्रमुख demands were the introduction of disease-free planting material, revival of the Market Intervention Scheme, and implementation of a crop insurance scheme for horticulture on the lines of the agriculture sector.
The delegation also called for financial support to operationalise a Cleaning Plant Programme at Wadoora in Sopore, establishment of a Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Baramulla district, and creation of a dedicated horticulture estate on the pattern of industrial estates.
To address post-harvest losses, growers sought the setting up of around 200 controlled atmosphere (CA) cold storage facilities across North and South Kashmir with subsidy support. They also flagged the steep rise in prices of pesticides and fertilisers, describing it as a major burden on orchardists.
Trade, transport and policy concerns
The memorandum further emphasised the need for priority transportation of perishable fruits such as cherries, plums and pears on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway. It also included demands related to international trade, including tax exemptions for apple exports to Bangladesh and imposition of higher import duties on foreign apples to protect domestic producers.
Other proposals included rejuvenation of ageing orchards, restoration of subsidy schemes for CA storage in Pulwama and Shopian, and establishment of a horticulture university in North Kashmir.
Minister assures consideration
Chouhan gave a patient hearing to the delegation and discussed each demand in detail, assuring growers that their concerns would be examined for possible action. He also shared contact details with the union leadership to facilitate continued coordination on horticulture-related issues in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting comes at a time when the horticulture sector—one of the mainstays of the region’s economy—is grappling with market fluctuations, climate-related risks and infrastructure gaps, prompting growers to push for stronger institutional and policy support.
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