SRINAGAR: The Sopore Fruit Mandi in North Kashmir, often called the “apple town” of Kashmir, has reported a record-breaking apple season this year, with over 9 lakh metric tons of apples dispatched, generating more than Rs 6,000 crore in revenue. This booming mandi is loading around 300 trucks daily, delivering fresh produce across India and even to international markets.
“This season, we have around 24 lakh metric tons of produce here. So far, we have dispatched over 9 lakh metric tons, providing crucial revenue and financial stability for our farmers,” Kaka Ji, President of the Sopore Mandi, told local news gatherer KINS. Despite a relatively dry season and a slight dip in apple yields, nearly 95 per cent of the apples this year met high-quality standards, which has driven strong prices and boosted farmer incomes.
The Sopore Mandi, established in 1989, has grown to handle approximately 40 per cent of the region’s apple production and sales, playing a vital role in Jammu and Kashmir’s GDP. This growth is attributed in part to improved infrastructure on national highways, allowing faster and fresher transportation of perishable goods. “The upgrades to our highways have streamlined our operations, reduced delays and ensuring fresher produce reaches destinations across India and beyond,” Kaka Ji noted.
The apples from Sopore Mandi reach a variety of domestic and international markets, with exports to countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. The flourishing apple trade supports around 70 per cent of the local population, with an estimated 7 lakh families involved in the horticulture industry across North Kashmir.
While celebrating this season’s success, Kaka Ji also urged government intervention to address challenges that could impact future growth, such as infrastructure enhancements and pesticide quality control. “Our appeal to Horticulture Minister Javed Ahmad Dhar is for more support to strengthen our mandi’s infrastructure and tackle the problem of counterfeit pesticides, which threaten crop quality and our farmers’ livelihoods,” he said.
