There has been 40 percent decline in the export of Kashmiri fruits to other states of the country since the August 5 announcement by the Central government blanketed the Valley in of political uncertainty.
According to reports, some 1o,000 trucks carrying around 10 million boxes of fruits plucked from the orchards of Kashmir have been sent to outside markets by the traders, despite threats to farmers and businessmen.
Reports said the figure is around 40 percent less than what has been the trend at this time of year in past years.
Despite heavy restrictions and mobile and internet shutdown, trucks carrying Kashmiri fruit moved on the highway since August 5 when clampdown was imposed in Kashmir after scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution.
On August 5, 75 trucks carrying fresh fruit were sent outside Kashmir with 105 sent to outside fruit markets on second day of the clampdown as authorities ensured that supplies are not affected and hassle free movement of trucks is ensured in and out of the Valley.
However, on August 13, not a single truck carrying fresh fruit moved out of the Valley and the highest number of apple trucks – 708 - were sent outside Valley on September 22.
A truck driver was also killed when he was hit by a stone pelted by protesters who mistook his vehicle for an Army truck.
In August, 3660 trucks carrying apples were sent outside Kashmir markets and for September the number stood at 6506.
According to the official data, around 500 apple trucks moved out of Valley till last month while last year it was over 1000.
These trucks are operating outside the main fruit markets of Kashmir as the main markets of Sopore, Srinagar, Shopian and Anantnag are mostly closed.
The traders are not sending their produce to these markets as apple traders were caught in a fix last month when Government asked them to operate the fruit markets during the day and militants asked them to operate during night.
This led to the closure of the main fruit markets of Kashmir with traders operating outside their shops and some even deciding not to do business this year.
Jammu and Kashmir is currently under President's rule. The state Assembly was dissolved on November 2018 after the ruling coalition between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) fell apart in June 2018.
The Valley has remained under lockdown for nearly two months since the abrogation of the Article 370 by the BJP-led Centre and a sweeping crackdown on not just militants but even mainstream parties like National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party with former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under detention.
An array of political leaders, businessmen, lawyers, activists and others have also been confined to Centaur Hotel on the banks of Dal Lake which has been declared as a sub-jail by the state administration. No announcement has yet been made on the charges under which the mainstream leaders and others have been arrested, and whether and when they will be released.
Relatives of Omar and Mehbooba recently were allowed to meet the leaders at Hari Niwas Palace and a guest house at Cheshma Shahi where the two leaders are being held respectively while Dr Farooq has been booked under PSA and his Gupkar house has been declared as a subsidiary jail.
Earlier, the daughter of Mehbooba, Iltija Mufti, had written to the home minister that she was fearing for her life and that she was being denied permission to meet her mother who she said has been confined to ‘one room’.
