Srinagar, Oct 13 (KNS): J&K State Committee CPI (M) has urged the government to take immediate and concrete measures for transportation and marketing of fruits in the State. In the prevailing situation the fruit growers are confronted with severe difficulties with regard to transportation, high fares and other requirements in the post harvest process of the apple crop.
In a statement to KNS, State Secretary CPI (M) Ghulam Nabi Malik, said that apple being the prime cash crop of the state fetches income over 2000 crores per annum to the state and assures direct and indirect livelihood to lacs of people, adding that a contingency plan was imperative to provide adequate transport facilities to the fruit growers so that the harvested fruits reach to the outside market.
He called upon the government to regulate transportation of fruits to outside markets. He said lack of fixed rates for carriage of fruits puts the growers at the mercy of truckers and transporters, who fleece them at a crucial juncture giving jolt to the fruit industry.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe demanded opening of the prestigious Mughal Road for ferrying fruits to the outside market.
The Committee rued absence of cold storage facilities for the fruit growers, saying lack of this vital facility constitutes a big hurdle in forging market linkages. It called for modernization of horticulture industry by way of providing cold storage facilities to the growers to export their fruits to different Mandis of the country and urged upon the Government to make effective interventions to ensure that horticulture produce from the Valley reaches outside markets with a well-knit mechanism.
The Committee reiterated its demand to provide insurance cover to the cultivators and their crops and fruits to insulate them from contingency losses. (KNS)