Continuous disruptions on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway have forced apple growers in Kashmir to divert large volumes of produce into Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storages.
Traders, however, warn that excessive storage could later trigger a price crash.
Since mid-August, the highway, a key arterial road linking the Valley with the rest of the country, has remained almost blocked due to frequent landslips caused by relentless rains. The closure has resulted in heavy losses, with fruit consignments rotting in stranded trucks en route to Jammu. Farmers, left with few options, have been compelled to store their produce across CA facilities in the Valley.
Over the past few days alone, nearly 1.25 lakh metric tonnes of apples have been placed in CA storages, particularly in south Kashmir.
The Valley has around 3.2 lakh MT of CA storage capacity, much of it concentrated in Pulwama and Shopian, which are the hub of apple production.
Izhan Javed, spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Fruits & Vegetable Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA), told businessline that arrivals in CA storages this season are up by more than 30 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“Storage provides only temporary relief. Seamless movement of fruit trucks on the highway is vital for the survival of the industry,” Javed said.
According to industry insiders, farmers have already incurred losses estimated at ₹700–750 crore since the highway closure on August 14. The sector, which contributes significantly to the Valley’s economy and provides direct and indirect livelihood to 30 lakh people, is feared to suffer deeper setbacks if disruptions persist.
However, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday that traffic had resumed on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway after authorities built a two-lane temporary diversion to bypass a major landslide triggered by heavy rains.
Gadkari wrote on social media platform X that more than a dozen excavators and over 50 earthmovers were working round the clock to keep the key arterial road operational.
Caution
Traders fear that once the road is completely restored, the sudden release of large stocks from CA storages could flood wholesale markets in Delhi and elsewhere, pushing prices down sharply.
“Prices usually crash when markets are inundated with produce,” said Shabir Ahmad, an apple trader from Shopian.
