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Non-operational fruit mandi in Khansahib remains looming loss for farmers

  • Arif Rashid By Arif Rashid
  • Comments 0
  • 28 Sep 2025

Budgam, September 28: Despite over a decade having passed since its construction, the government’s fruit mandi in Khansahib area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district remains non-functional, depriving local apple growers of benefits. The government has already invested a substantial amount of money in developing the facilities in this area. Residents of Khansahib village told Rising Kashmir that the mandi was established in 2012, with construction completed by 2015. They said this facility was built to enable fruit growers residing in various villages of the Khansahib tehsil to sell their products and vegetables directly at this mandi at favourable rates, allowing them to earn a good income from their production. Mudasir Ahmad Shah, a local resident, expressed disappointment: “Despite the government’s substantial investment, the mandi has not benefited farmers or fruit growers. It remains non-operational during the peak apple harvest season.” He said that activating the mandi could generate employment opportunities for unemployed youth and enable farmers to sell their produce directly, reducing transportation costs and increasing profits. “Farmers cultivate various vegetables, fruits, and dry fruits, which they could sell here and dispatch to other states, benefiting the entire village throughout the year,” he added. Shah said the absence of a functional district-level mandi forces farmers to spend extra money selling their produce elsewhere, incurring high transportation costs despite the availability of such facilities nearby. “We have approached officials to make this Mandi operational, but no action has been taken so far,” he lamented. Residents have appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to address this issue and expedite necessary measures. When contacted, officials were unavailable for comment.  

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