Raja Zaid
SHOPIAN, May 23: The festive buzz ahead of Eid-ul-Adha has faded in Shopian this year, as financial distress caused by the apple crisis and rising prices has hit markets and reduced consumer spending.
Jamia Market, usually crowded during the Eid season, witnessed thin footfall, with traders and livestock sellers reporting poor business. Many residents said the ongoing economic difficulties have forced families to cut down on Eid shopping and livestock purchases.
Mohd Yousuf Bhat, who brought a bull from Kokernag to sell in the market, said visitors only stopped to take photographs but few showed interest in buying. He said mounting financial difficulties had forced him to sell the animal despite emotional attachment to it.
Traders and fruit growers blamed repeated hailstorms and last year’s highway disruptions for the current crisis. President of the Fruit Association, Mohd Ashraf, said widespread damage to orchards and transport bottlenecks during the peak apple season caused huge losses to growers.
President of the Traders and Manufacturers Association, Mushtaq Ahmad Nakhsi, said many farmers were forced to sell apples at distress prices due to frequent closures of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. He added that the growing trend of online shopping had also affected local businesses.
Residents also expressed concern over rising inflation, saying increasing prices and shrinking incomes have badly affected purchasing power ahead of Eid.