Srinagar/Delhi: The past week has been turbulent for Kashmir’s apple economy, with oversupply, falling prices and traffic bottlenecks crippling trade across the country’s mandis. On Saturday, however, the situation at Delhi’s Azadpur Fruit Mandi – Asia’s largest wholesale fruit market – showed signs of improvement after regulatory measures were enforced to control the flow of apple trucks.
Truck entry regulated at Tikri Khampur
The turning point came after the Kashmir Apple Merchants Association, Azadpur, announced that all truckloads of Kashmiri apples would be halted at Tikri Khampur check post, about 30 km outside Delhi, for gate pass issuance. Only batches of trucks would then be permitted entry into Azadpur. In a letter to the New Kashmir Fruit Association, Srinagar, shared with Ziraat Times, the association made it clear that any truck arriving directly at the mandi without a gate pass would be sent back.
This measure was introduced to decongest the mandi, where thousands of truckloads had arrived simultaneously earlier in the week, creating logistical chaos. Stalls were overwhelmed, storage facilities choked and apple lots flooded the market, leading to a sharp dip in prices.
According to reports, hundreds of fruit trucks have again got stuck on Saturday morning in traffic jam in Banihal-Ramban section of the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
Sales stabilize, prices inch up
Traders at Azadpur report that the regulation has restored some balance between supply and demand.
“Earlier, trucks were unloading in a rush, depressing prices drastically. Now with staggered entry, buyers are showing more interest, and sales volumes have picked up,” said Nisar Ahmed, dealing in Kashmiri apples. Prices have also seen a marginal rise compared to the previous days’ lows on Saturday.
Still, the improvement offers little comfort to growers and traders from Kashmir. Prices remain significantly below last year’s levels, with many consignments barely covering transportation and handling costs. “The mandi may look more orderly now, but the economics are still heavily stacked against us,” a grower from Shopian told Ziraat Times.
Freshness loss due to delays
Yet, the new system has introduced another challenge: freshness loss. Trucks forced to wait for long hours – sometimes overnight – at Tikri are witnessing deterioration in apple quality. “When fruits lose freshness, buyers immediately push down rates, and the financial hit is borne by both growers and traders,” said a Srinagar-based trader.
Highway disruptions and panic selling
Industry stakeholders argue that the root causes of the current crisis go beyond mandi-level congestion. Frequent closures of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway this season disrupted supply flows, causing delays and backlogs. Once the road reopened, growers, lacking adequate cold storage facilities in the Valley, rushed their produce to outside mandis. The sudden glut created classic oversupply conditions, leaving growers vulnerable to price crashes.
“Had there been proper storage facilities, growers could have staggered supplies over weeks, instead of panic-loading trucks to Delhi. We are now paying the price for systemic gaps in post-harvest management,” said a trader in Azadpur.
Structural lessons for apple economy
Analysts believe the episode underscores the need for a more resilient supply chain for Kashmir’s apple industry, which contributes significantly to the region’s economy and employs hundreds of thousands. Investments in cold storage infrastructure, supply chain management and price stabilization mechanisms could shield growers from seasonal shocks.
For now, while the regulatory step at Tikri Khampur has prevented a total collapse of trade at Azadpur, Kashmiri growers are still counting losses. With the season just entering its peak, the coming weeks will determine whether market stability can be sustained – or whether volatility continues to erode grower incomes.
