NAFED delay in reviewing rates worries apple growers

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, December 13

Delay in reviewing procurement rates of Apple on time by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) has increased worries of growers as produce is not being lifted for the last over a week, especially in Shopian district of Kashmir.

Heavy snowfall in South Kashmir has further left the produce vulnerable as traders grapple with growing stock problem and transport issue as they wait for new rates. Since September Nafed has revised rates of different grades of apples two times. The produce is graded as A, B and C category as per its quality.

“If rates are revised on time, the traders will not fear losing their crop due to heavy snowfall. We are witnessing less arrival of trucks from the Valley ”, claimed Aftab Ahmed Choudhary, a trader at Narwal Mandi.

In September this year, the Central Government has rolled out a Special Market Intervention Price Scheme (MISP) to procure nearly 12 lakh MTs of Apple produce this season in Kashmir Valley. The fund requirement for the scheme has been estimated as Rs 8,000 crore.

Director Horticulture, Aijaz Ahmed Bhat said rates had almost been finalised and it would be notified in a day or two. “The rates are being revived for the benefit of farmers and every aspect has to be taken into account before notifying it” said Bhat. He blamed slow transport of produce on poor weather and accessibility problems due to road blocks for it.

A senior official in the Horticulture Department said the killing of non-local truckers by terrorists since September had also affected the movement as transportation was now dependent on local truckers who were charging higher rates and the government has failed to regulate charges.

The apple is being procured from the growers/aggregators at fruit mandis situated in Sopore (Baramulla), Parimpora (Srinagar), Shopian and Batengo (Anantnag).