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Fruit Mandi Sopore shuts down in peaceful protest over highway blockade

Sopore: The bustling Sopore Fruit Mandi, Asia's second-largest fruit market, came to a complete standstill on Sunday as growers and traders staged a peaceful protest against the continuous blockade of the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. The blockade has severely disrupted the transportation of fruit, inflicting massive losses on growers and traders at the peak of the apple and pear season. With trucks stranded and shipments unable to move, truckloads of apples have begun to rot, while perishable fruits like pears have already decayed, pushing the industry into crisis. Hundreds of traders, growers, and transporters gathered at the mandi premises, demanding immediate intervention from authorities to restore the free movement of vehicles. The highway, which serves as the lifeline for Kashmir's fruit economy, has remained choked for days due to ongoing repair work and alleged administrative apathy. "Every passing hour is worsening our losses. We have taken loans from banks, but who will compensate us? We were promised compensation in 2022, but till now nothing has been provided," said Bashir Ahmad, a prominent fruit grower from Sopore. "Our apples are turning rotten inside the trucks. Pears, which have a very short shelf life, have already gone to waste. This is not just an economic blow but a matter of survival for thousands of families who depend on this trade." The Sopore Fruit Mandi handles thousands of metric tons of fruit every day during the harvest season, with buyers arriving from different states of India. Any disruption in the supply chain not only affects the Valley's economy but also creates shortages in markets across the country. Traders allege that despite repeated pleas to the administration, no concrete steps have been taken to ensure the smooth flow of fruit trucks. Losses, they say, are running into crores of rupees. "We will fight back till our last breath for the survival of this industry," said another protester. With tears welling in his eyes, the President of the Fruit Growers Association, Fayaz Ahmad Malik, popularly known as Kaka Ji, expressed deep anguish, calling the situation "a man-made disaster." "The government must understand the importance of this sector," Malik said. "We are contributing significantly to the economy, yet we are left to suffer silently. If immediate measures are not taken, the entire fruit industry will collapse." Protesters held placards and shouted slogans, urging the administration to intervene before it was too late. By evening, the blockade remained unresolved, leaving the fate of thousands of tons of fruit hanging in the balance. Kashmir's horticulture industry, primarily driven by apple cultivation, is considered the backbone of the region's economy, supporting over three million people. With the harvest season at its peak, any delay in transportation could spell disaster for both growers and traders. As the protest continues, fruit growers and traders have warned of intensifying their agitation if the highway is not cleared promptly, signaling tougher days ahead for one of the Valley's most vital economic sectors.

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