Up to October 23, 2025, around 14,000 tons of apples, equivalent to roughly 900,000 boxes, were transported from fruit and vegetable markets across Kashmir to destinations outside Jammu and Kashmir, according to the government's report to the Legislative Assembly.
Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javid Ahmad Dar, said that despite repeated closures of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway caused by landslides and heavy rains, the administration maintained the flow of apple shipments through railway services and alternate routes.
During the highway blockade, 125,376 boxes of apples valued at Rs 10.03 crore (about US$1.2 million) were sent by train from Budgam and Anantnag to Jammu and Delhi. "At the time of the road blockage, only 22,000 metric tons, around one per cent of the total apple production, remained stranded on NH-44, while the larger part of the crop continued to move out in phases," Dar said.
Kashmir's total apple output for the 2025 season is estimated at 2.215 million tons, with roughly 1.4 million tons typically exported to markets outside the Union Territory. Dar said that six-tyre trucks were allowed on the Mughal Road, a control room was established at Qazigund to coordinate truck movement, and farmers were advised to use railway parcel vans and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage facilities for temporary preservation of their produce.
Responding to a motion raised by MLA Hilal Akbar Lone, the minister noted that heavy rainfall and landslides in August and September damaged long stretches of NH-44, washing away road sections and stranding fruit-laden trucks. The floods affected 431.09 hectares of crop area, with losses exceeding 33% across Jammu and Kashmir.
Dar said that Rs 12.28 lakh (US$14,700) has been distributed to affected growers under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), while total assessed losses stand at Rs 152.37 lakh (US$183,000).
He also confirmed that the government is finalising the Re-structured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), under which apple, saffron, mango, and litchi crops will be covered. "The tendering process to select an insurance company empanelled by the Government of India is underway," he said.
Dar described Kashmir as India's leading apple-producing region and stated that the government remains focused on improving market access and resilience against weather-related disruptions.
Source: KashmirLife
