Government rolls RTC vehicles for apple growers in Shopian and Sopore

September 20, 2025 by News Desk

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led government has, on Saturday, launched State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) vehicles for fruit growers upon request, aiming to ease the transport crisis in the valley.

Earlier, Horticulture Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar had said that the government was ready to offer SRTC truck services for ferrying apples. “Fruit growers from the Sopore mandi have requested SRTC trucks, and we have instructed the Transport Commissioner to dispatch the vehicles accordingly,” he stated.

State Spokesperson of Jammu Kashmir National Conference, Imran Nabi Dar confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that government transportation has been facilitated for apple growers at Shopian and Sopore as of now and the government plans to extend this to the Kulgam district of south Kashmir.

The announcement comes as Kashmir’s fruit sector struggles with high freight charges and acute transport shortages, forcing growers to pay up to three times the usual rates to send their produce to markets outside the valley.

Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union president Bashir Ahmad Basheer highlighted that the soaring transport costs are eating into growers’ profits. “Earlier, we paid around Rs 60 per box via the National Highway, but this year the rates have skyrocketed to Rs 200. On the Mughal Road, charges are even higher,” said Abdul Rashid, a grower from Shopian. “Apples are our only livelihood; at these rates, survival is impossible.”

Growers also alleged that private transporters are exploiting the shortage. Mohammad Yousuf from Pulwama said, “If the government is serious, RTC trucks should be deployed at every mandi. This will automatically bring down the rates.”

The apple industry, supporting nearly 35 lakh people in Jammu Kashmir, remains a crucial pillar of the region’s economy, now threatened by escalating transport costs and logistical challenges.