Thousands of apple growers and traders in north Kashmir staged protests in Sopore and Handwara, warning of massive losses as the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway—vital for fruit transport—remains closed for nearly a month due to rains and landslides. With trucks stranded and mandis shut, growers say delays are destroying fruit quality and soaring packaging costs are adding to their woes. While Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off a cargo train to Delhi to ease the crisis, farmers insist that only restoring heavy-vehicle movement on the highway can save the harvest. Losses already run into hundreds of crores, threatening to cripple Kashmir’s fruit economy during peak season.
