News Topic:Apple Harvest

Kashmir's cold storage facilities are fully booked as apple growers hope for better prices, while operators stress proper grading to prevent storage losses.

Kashmir's Horticulture Department and Northern Railway are exploring concessional freight rates to move fruit consignments by train using available return cargo capacity.

Kashmir growers are shifting to high-density apple farming for better yields and returns, with a 50% subsidy available to eligible farmers under a government scheme.

A NITI Aayog roadmap finds apple productivity declining and almond cultivation shrinking in J&K, even as overall fruit production has grown fivefold since 1980.

Growers from Pulwama and Shopian said modern plantations have enabled them to make better use of limited land while reducing the waiting period for substantial returns.

Valley fruit growers have appealed to Members of Parliament from J&K to take up the issue of frequent disruptions on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44).

Apple orchards in south Kashmir's Pulwama district have once again been severely affected by a hailstorm, causing losses for local growers.

Amid growing concerns among farmers due to recent incessant rains and hailstorms in South Kashmir, the HDO Shadimarg has issued urgent recommendations.