The season of fruit harvest has already started in Kashmir. The cherry season has already ended and we are in the middle of that time of the year when apricots are picked and dispatched across the country. Fruits are dangling in abundance from the trees, as if waiting to be picked up and pushed on to the journey where their worthy buyers will be found. Weeks after apricots, it is time for the pear crop to embark on this journey followed by walnuts and apples which will end the fruit harvest season. It is also that time of the year when the middlemen make unexpected visits to the homes of farmers and try to convince them to sell their crop. A moment of pride for farmers and orchardists who toil throughout the year in their orchards to ensure that their crop is in a good state and any effects of manmade or natural disasters are minimized. But it isn’t a smooth sailing for the farmers or orchardists. There is always a feeling of betrayal among them, especially when it comes to the day when the rate of fruits is decided. This is always maneuvered by traders to ensure that they get a more than justified chunk of the sale while the farmer is left with no option but to accept it as ‘fait accompli’. Why does it happen to the most hard-working section of our society who shed blood and sweat in their orchards so that people can enjoy the fruits within the comforts of their homes? If a dozen bananas sell for Rs 100, why only Rs 20 for a kg of apple? This discrepancy needs to go and this is precisely where the role of the government comes into play. Already a scheme has been announced to procure the fruits directly from the farmers and cut out the profit siphoned off by the middle men and traders. The ambit of the scheme needs to be widened. J&K needs to set up a bigger chain of cold storage units, instead of the few presently, if we want to get a firm grip on the price of our fruits. The government also needs to put into place several mechanisms so that orchardists don’t feel like getting fleeced at the time of selling their fruit. By doing so, the government will be truly empowering grassroots.
The season of fruit harvest has already started in Kashmir. The cherry season has already ended and we are in the middle of that time of the year when apricots are picked and dispatched across the country. Fruits are dangling in abundance from the trees, as if waiting to be picked up and pushed on to the journey where their worthy buyers will be found. Weeks after apricots, it is time for the pear crop to embark on this journey followed by walnuts and apples which will end the fruit harvest season. It is also that time of the year when the middlemen make unexpected visits to the homes of farmers and try to convince them to sell their crop. A moment of pride for farmers and orchardists who toil throughout the year in their orchards to ensure that their crop is in a good state and any effects of manmade or natural disasters are minimized. But it isn’t a smooth sailing for the farmers or orchardists. There is always a feeling of betrayal among them, especially when it comes to the day when the rate of fruits is decided. This is always maneuvered by traders to ensure that they get a more than justified chunk of the sale while the farmer is left with no option but to accept it as ‘fait accompli’. Why does it happen to the most hard-working section of our society who shed blood and sweat in their orchards so that people can enjoy the fruits within the comforts of their homes? If a dozen bananas sell for Rs 100, why only Rs 20 for a kg of apple? This discrepancy needs to go and this is precisely where the role of the government comes into play. Already a scheme has been announced to procure the fruits directly from the farmers and cut out the profit siphoned off by the middle men and traders. The ambit of the scheme needs to be widened. J&K needs to set up a bigger chain of cold storage units, instead of the few presently, if we want to get a firm grip on the price of our fruits. The government also needs to put into place several mechanisms so that orchardists don’t feel like getting fleeced at the time of selling their fruit. By doing so, the government will be truly empowering grassroots.
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