Apple farmers meet in Srinagar, urges help to form cooperatives

The first-ever convention of apple farmers from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, was held in Srinagar on Thursday. A resolution adopted at the workshop says that while apple farmers earn about ₹4,300 crore in a year, the market value of the apples they sell in retail markets is about ₹14,400 crore. “The remaining 70% of the value, i.e., a whooping ₹10,000 crore per year is shared by various stake holders including corporate players, intermediaries and commission agents, the cold chain owners, transporters, the wholesale traders, retailers, credit institutions and given as tax to Governments,” says the resolution.

“Apple is the lifeline of Kashmir. About 70% of the Valley’s population are dependent on apple cultivation. They have suffered huge losses in the last three seasons due to the atmosphere created in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370. ”M. Y. TarigamiFormer MLA and organiser of the workshop