Cherries abound in Kashmir but farmers find no market
SRINAGAR: Cherry trees in Kashmir are blooming with luscious fruit but despite it farmers are staring at massive losses due to limited demand amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The railways have stepped in to ease farmers’ burden. Jammu and Kashmir officials said they had requested northern railways to help transport Kashmiri cherries from Amritsar.
Manzoor Ahmad Mir, deputy director horticulture planning and marketing, said, “From June 1, railways will transport 4-6 metric tonnes of cherries daily from Amritsar to Delhi and Mumbai. We had requested them to transport the fruits from Jammu but that did not materialise.”
DEMAND FOR FREE MOVEMENT OF TRUCKS
Farmers have demanded free movement of trucks till Amritsar. Mir said, “Kashmir has produced approximately 12,000 metric tonnes of cherry this year. The Valley annually sends around 3,500-4,000 metric tonnes of the fruit to other states.” Despite a good produce, famers are a worried lot due to less demand and difficulties in transporting fruit amid Covid-19 restrictions.
FRUIT NOT FETCHING A GOOD PRICE
“The market is down and we are not getting a good price for cherries. I received ₹45-50/kg this year against last year’s ₹75-90/kg. The shops and markets here are closed,” said Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, a farmer from Lar Ganderbal .
There are four types of cherries in Kashmir- Awwal Number, Double, Mishri and Makhmali. The latter two are exported to other states.
“This year we were hoping to get a profit from the cherry crop as the apple produce was affected due to bad weather during flowering. Our livelihood and the education of our children are dependent on this. If something is not done immediately our families will suffer,” Sheikh said.
“Fruit is ready but there are no cardboard boxes in the market to pack the fruit. Industries are closed so there is scarcity of boxes,” said Mudasir Ahmad Lone, a farmer from Baramulla.