Facing huge losses, the fruit growers across Kashmir have urged the government to re-introduce the Market Intervention Scheme(MIS) for the C-grade fruit. The fruit growers claimed that around 72 percent of produce this year was C-grade fruit and in the absence of market intervention scheme for C-grade fruit, the apple industry is battling for its survival.
Around 22 lack metric tons of apple crop which is over 72 percent of the total apple production across the country is annually produced in Kashmir. While under normal conditions, around 25 percent of the total produce usually turns C-grade fruit.
President of Fruit Growers Association Sopore Mandi Fayaz Ahmad said during the current season the apple production is extremely low due to the adverse weather conditions as well as use of ‘sub-standard pesticides and fungicides’.
He said the re-introduction of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) is need of the hour especially when growers are frustrated over non-existence of testing of pesticides.
“This year culling of maximum apple crop from the apple trees has resulted in the accumulation of C-grade fruit with the result, the fruit growers are economically devastated. Under such circumstances, a scheme like MIS for C-grade fruit could provide some solace to the growers,” said Fayaz.