SRINAGAR: Up to October 23, 2025, about 14,000 metric tonnes of apples — roughly 9 lakh boxes — have been transported from various fruit and vegetable markets across the Kashmir Valley to destinations outside Jammu Kashmir, the government informed the Legislative Assembly.
Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javid Ahmad Dar, said that despite the prolonged blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway due to landslides and heavy rains, the administration ensured smooth evacuation of apple produce through railway services and alternate routes.
During the highway closure, 1,25,376 apple boxes worth Rs 10.03 crore were dispatched by train from Budgam and Anantnag to Jammu and Adarsh Nagar, Delhi. “At the time of the road blockage, only 22,000 metric tonnes — around one per cent of the total apple production — remained stranded on NH-44, while the larger part of the crop continued to move out in phases,” the minister said.
Kashmir’s total apple production for the 2025 season has been estimated at 22.15 lakh metric tonnes, of which nearly 14 lakh metric tonnes are typically exported to markets outside the Union Territory. The minister said that the government had permitted six-tyre trucks to ply on the Mughal Road, set up a control room at Qazigund to coordinate truck movement, and encouraged farmers to use railway parcel vans and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) stores for temporary preservation of their produce.
Responding to a calling attention motion by MLA Hilal Akbar Lone, Dar said that heavy rainfall and landslides during August and September caused widespread damage along NH-44, including washing away of stretches of road and stranding of trucks carrying fresh fruit consignments. He said that the floods affected 431.091 hectares of crop area, with losses exceeding 33 per cent across Jammu and Kashmir.
On compensation to affected farmers, Dar informed that Rs 12.28 lakh has been disbursed so far under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms, while total eligible losses have been assessed at Rs 152.37 lakh.
He said that the government is also finalising the implementation of the Re-structured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), under which Apple, Saffron, Mango, and Litchi crops have been notified for insurance coverage. “The tendering process to select an insurance company empanelled by the Government of India is underway,” Dar said.
Describing Kashmir as India’s leading apple-producing region, Dar said the government remains committed to strengthening the resilience of the farming community against natural calamities and market disruptions. “We are taking all necessary steps to ensure farmers receive timely support and protection,” he said.
