Kashmir’s apple harvest this season is facing a harsh blow, as the prolonged closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has sent apple prices tumbling by nearly 40%. What began as a transportation snag has turned into a full-on crisis for farmers who depend on timely access to markets. With the primary road link cut off, truckloads of apples are stuck in transit, rotting under the strain of delays. Many growers are watching helplessly as their efforts — tending orchards, harvesting fruit — yield little return because buyers are scarce and the fruit’s quality deteriorates.

The financial losses are staggering. Some estimates put total losses at Rs 6,000-7,000 million rupees (≈ USD 68-79 million), with farmers pointing out that this isn’t just bad luck but a systemic vulnerability.  Costs for packaging have also ballooned — what used to cost Rs 40 per carton is now going for Rs 200 in some cases.

Farmers argue that the Centre’s response has been slow and inadequate, fueling perceptions that the Valley’s fruit economy is being sidelined.  One potential relief is the Indian Railways’ plan to begin a daily parcel service from the Kashmir Valley to Delhi — including dedicated wagons for apples , to bypass the blocked highway. As the peak harvest season unfolds, growers say time is slipping away: lessen the losses now or risk seeing the entire season collapse