According to the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government’s Department of Information and Public Relations, approximately 6 lakh metrictonnes of fresh fruit has been transported out of the state in three months.The state is famous for its production of fresh fruits, especially apples which generate a lot of employment in the Kashmir valley. The apple crop is grown indistricts like Shopian, Baramulla, Anantnag, and Ganderbal. The department stated that Principal Secretary Asgar Samoon had instructed the truck driversto adhere to the fixed freight rate prescribed by the government. This is yet another effort to restore normalcy in the region after the revocation ofspecial status.

A few days ago, government officials indicated that theJ&K administration had procured around 1.34 lakh boxes of people from fruitgrowers in south Kashmir under the Marketing Intervention Scheme (MIS). TheAnantnag region was the main beneficiary of this initiative. Rs.2.5 crore hasbeen paid to the fruit growers by the Department of Horticulture. This schemeis aimed at providing remunerative prices to the farmers whenever there is abumper crop.  Due to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s efforts, apples from Kashmir will be exported to West Asiancountries. The Lulu group which runs more than 180 hypermarkets and shoppingmalls across West Asia, recently shipped 200 tonnes of three varieties ofapples. This initiative materialised during PM Modi’s visit to the United ArabEmirates, where prominent businessman and chairman of the Lulu group showcasedhis willingness to procure Kashmiri produce and set up a logistics hub inSrinagar.