<p><strong> </strong>As apple trade has been affected due to the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, fruit growers hope situation on the ground may improve after the address of Indo-Pak Prime Ministers at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27.</p>.<p>In many parts of the Valley, especially in southern districts of Shopian and Pulwama, the growers have decided not to pluck apple crop till September 27. “We are clueless as well as helpless at a time when life is gradually returning to normalcy in Kashmir with each passing day. Unfortunately, apple industry has become a victim of war between militants and the government this time,” an apple grower from Shopian told DH on the condition of anonymity.</p>.<p>He said that growers have not plucked even a single variety of apples in the area as fruit mandis remained shut this season so-far. “Posters surfaced across Shopian and Pulwama in which militants had asked growers not to open fruit mandis. Where will we take our produce,” the grower asked.</p>.<p>However, he hoped that something good will happen for Kashmir at the UNGA on September 27 and after that they will be able to pluck their apples.</p>.<p>His views were echoed by Fayaz Rather, an apple trader at Parimpora Fruit Market in Srinagar. “Across Kashmir, people are waiting for September 27 addresses of Indo-Pak prime ministers at the UNGA. There is hope that the situation may improve after that. In the last few days, there is a buzz that growers can pluck their crop after September 27,” he said.</p>.<p>Earlier this month, unidentified militants targeted a family of a fruit trader in Sopore for keeping his shop open at Sopore Fruit Mandi. Four people, including a 30-month-old baby girl and two fruit traders, were injured in the attack, which forced the traders to shut mandis across the Valley. The apple traders also allege that in various areas, police and army don’t allow fruit trucks to move during the night.</p>.<p>In the second week of September, J&K government introduced ‘market intervention scheme’ for the benefit of apple growers under which they can sell their produce at four designated spots in Kashmir at “reasonable price.”</p>.<p>However, this didn’t excite many growers and traders, who want their products to be sold at Fruit Mandis across the country of their choice. “Not only is it difficult to take the fruit boxes to the spots designated by the government for security reasons, but we are also apprehensive about the prices. The festival season is around the corner in India and this is the best time to sell the fruits,” said Ghulam Qadir, a fruit trader.</p>
<p><strong> </strong>As apple trade has been affected due to the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, fruit growers hope situation on the ground may improve after the address of Indo-Pak Prime Ministers at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27.</p>.<p>In many parts of the Valley, especially in southern districts of Shopian and Pulwama, the growers have decided not to pluck apple crop till September 27. “We are clueless as well as helpless at a time when life is gradually returning to normalcy in Kashmir with each passing day. Unfortunately, apple industry has become a victim of war between militants and the government this time,” an apple grower from Shopian told DH on the condition of anonymity.</p>.<p>He said that growers have not plucked even a single variety of apples in the area as fruit mandis remained shut this season so-far. “Posters surfaced across Shopian and Pulwama in which militants had asked growers not to open fruit mandis. Where will we take our produce,” the grower asked.</p>.<p>However, he hoped that something good will happen for Kashmir at the UNGA on September 27 and after that they will be able to pluck their apples.</p>.<p>His views were echoed by Fayaz Rather, an apple trader at Parimpora Fruit Market in Srinagar. “Across Kashmir, people are waiting for September 27 addresses of Indo-Pak prime ministers at the UNGA. There is hope that the situation may improve after that. In the last few days, there is a buzz that growers can pluck their crop after September 27,” he said.</p>.<p>Earlier this month, unidentified militants targeted a family of a fruit trader in Sopore for keeping his shop open at Sopore Fruit Mandi. Four people, including a 30-month-old baby girl and two fruit traders, were injured in the attack, which forced the traders to shut mandis across the Valley. The apple traders also allege that in various areas, police and army don’t allow fruit trucks to move during the night.</p>.<p>In the second week of September, J&K government introduced ‘market intervention scheme’ for the benefit of apple growers under which they can sell their produce at four designated spots in Kashmir at “reasonable price.”</p>.<p>However, this didn’t excite many growers and traders, who want their products to be sold at Fruit Mandis across the country of their choice. “Not only is it difficult to take the fruit boxes to the spots designated by the government for security reasons, but we are also apprehensive about the prices. The festival season is around the corner in India and this is the best time to sell the fruits,” said Ghulam Qadir, a fruit trader.</p>
