Allow smooth transportation of cherry crop to outside mandis: CPI (M)

Compensate those adequately whose crop got damaged due to recent hailstorm

Compensate those adequately whose crop got damaged due to recent hailstorm

Srinagar, June 6 (KNS): CPI (M) leader Ghulam Nabi Malik on Saturday urged the administration to allow smooth transportation of Kashmir’s first crop of cherry fruit, expected to cross the 11,000-metric tonne mark this year, to outside mandis in view of its short life span.
according to statement issued to KNS he said, the fruit growers in Kashmir have already suffered huge losses due to last August clampdown and subsequent COVID-19 lockdown in March this year. If Cherry fruits are not transported immediately, it would perish before reaching its destination which would cause immense losses to the fruit growers. The administration must introduce a market intervention scheme to purchase the produce at proper rates.
The recent hail storm in several areas of Kashmir, especially in southern districts, came as another blow to the horticulture sector. The government must compensate those, whose crop was damaged due to the hailstorm adequately.
And now this season the spread of scab in orchards due to the spray of fake and substandard pesticides and fungicides has wreaked havoc to apple trees. This happened due to the wrong advice given to the farmers by the concerned government departments about the spray of anti-scab sprays. Early scab infection in leaves of fruit trees, especially apple trees, has appeared after many years in Kashmir. The agencies who approved these sprays must be made liable to pay compensation to the growers, who have suffered huge losses.
Horticulture in Kashmir suffered massive losses due to early snowfall in the Valley last November. Due to 7 November 2019 untimely snowfall thousands of crores damage happened to the horticulture sector which was already reeling due to the situation arising after August 5. The frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway disrupted the smooth transportation of fruit to outside Kashmir markets.
Survival of lakhs of people associated with the horticulture sector is at stake. People associated with horticulture in J&K constitute a considerable percentage of total employment in the region. COVID-19 lockdown has made the survival of thousands of families who are dependent on this sector difficult. People are eking out a tough existence in Kashmir.(KNS)
 

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