Over 1 lakh apple boxes stuck at Handwara fruit mandi amid transport shortage
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By Aatif Qayoom
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22 Sep 2025
Handwara, Sept 22: Over one lakh apple boxes are stuck at the Fruit Mandi Handwara due to the non-availability of transport, merchants said on Monday.
President of Handwara Fruit Mandi, Mohammad Amin Wani, told Rising Kashmir that the mandi had to remain shut for a day as no vehicles were available. “We are helpless. Hundreds of trucks were already damaged after being stranded for days on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway during the disaster. Now with no transport available, our losses are mounting,” he said.
Merchants accused transporters of demanding exorbitant fares. “The SRTC trucks that were supposed to come are also charging unreasonably high rates. With fruit prices already slashed, we cannot afford this burden,” Wani added.
Growers expressed fear that the produce stored in their homes may spoil. “We harvested our apples with hard work. If they are not transported in the coming days, it will be a disaster for us,” said Abdul Rashid, a grower from Handwara.
The fruit industry, already hit by the highway closure, estimates crores in losses. Similar complaints have been reported from other mandis. In Sopore, however, vehicles started arriving on Monday afternoon after a day’s break, the local mandi president, Fayaz Ahmad Malik, confirmed.
When asked about the cargo train, Wani said it was of little use. “This mandi supplies fruit to many states and UTs. The train only goes to Delhi. That does not solve our problem,” he said.
He criticised the district administration, saying, “Neither the ARTO Kupwara nor the ADC Handwara has reached out to us. We feel abandoned." Wani, however, appreciated the Handwara Police for arranging a few vehicles.
Local growers urged authorities to intervene. “We depend on this crop for our livelihood. Each day of delay pushes us into more debt,” said Ghulam Nabi, another grower.
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