Srinagar August 20:(KNS) Senior Vice President Peoples Conference and former minister Abdul Gani Vakil reiterated his demand waving of KCC loan and special pacakage to fruit growers as untimely snowfall last year, Covid-19 lockdown and even hailstorm across the valley caused massive damage to apple industry. Untimely fall of apple blossom this year has also raised alarm bells among the fruit growers and Apple traders with many speculations that it will lead to massive losses even this year also as the reason being is substandard pesticides providing to fruit growers in the market where the Government failed to check the quality of pesticides that lead to untimely fall of Apple blossom which is wholy and soley due to calious approach of the UT Administration.

In a statement Vakil said that most of the people in the Apple farming had kept the fruit in cold storages in different cities of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore,Calcutta and Patna but it was totally destroyed and rotten because of Covid -19 lockdown and closure of National Highway for long time resulting their by losses in crores. Closure of National Highway for long time has caused to damage to fruit growers worth crores as the Govt has failed to take immediate steps for opening the road on war footing in time .
Vakil alleged that the UT Government although assured fruit growers special package, adequate compensation of losses of fruit orchards but it is surprising and unfortunate that the Govt failed to fullfill its promises and thereby added to the mesiries of fruit growers and traders.
Apple growing is the main source of income in the valley especially both in North and South Kashmir and natural calamities including Covid-19 lockdown had inflicted maximum damage to fruit growers.
Vakil urged Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha to take the important issue of huge losses to fruit growers with the central Government with the strong recommendations of sanctioning of special economic package including waiving of KCC loan and he must direct the administration to identify those elements who are responsible for providing substandard pesticides to fruit growers and apple traders which too had damaged heavily to the fruit industry.(KNS)