Apple growers in Kashmir, India, are facing payment issues linked to cheque dishonour, adding to challenges from weather variability, pest pressure, and transport disruptions. Growers report delayed or failed payments from local traders, with some cases requiring legal action.
In Shopian, where around 80 per cent of the population depends on apple production, cheque dishonour cases are reported each season. According to growers and traders, payment disputes have increased during the marketing period.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Rayaz Ahmad Choudhary recently convicted two traders in separate cheque bounce cases, issuing two-year prison sentences. The cases were filed after cheques issued to growers were returned due to insufficient funds.
"Last year, a trader gave me three cheques, all of which were dishonoured due to insufficient balance," said an apple grower. "I had no option but to approach the court to recover my money."
Growers report that payment delays affect reinvestment in orchards and household expenses. "We spend the entire year tending our orchards, but when it comes to selling produce, we are left chasing payments," said Javed Ahmad. "It becomes a matter of survival."
Trader organisations acknowledge complaints during the marketing season. Mohammad Ashraf Wani of the Fruit Mandi Shopian said, "Every year, hundreds of farmers approach us with such grievances." He advised growers to transact with registered traders or commission agents and to maintain documentation.
Legal observers report an increase in cheque dishonour cases in horticulture regions where transactions involve large volumes and informal agreements. Under Indian law, issuing a cheque without sufficient funds is a punishable offence, but growers state that legal processes take extended periods.
"Even after filing a case, it takes months or years to get justice," said another grower. "By then, the financial damage is already done."
With apple production forming a core part of the regional economy, growers are calling for measures to improve payment security and transaction compliance.
Source: Greater Kashmir
