Kashmir's Apple Industry Is Dying on the Road

Every autumn in Kashmir, orchards blush red and green as apple harvests reach their peak.

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For generations, these apples have been the lifeblood of the valley, supporting nearly seven lakh families. Farmers rise before dawn, tend trees through harsh winters and monsoon rains, and, come harvest time, carry their hopes in wooden crates. Yet today, those hopes rot on the side of the road.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only major land artery linking Kashmir to the rest of India, becomes a battleground each harvest season. Blocked by landslides, trucks laden with apples face delays that stretch into days. By the time fruit reaches Delhi or Mumbai, freshness fades, market prices collapse, and farmers are forced to sell at ruinously low rates. A crate that should have fetched thousands is sometimes offloaded for a fraction of its worth.