While apple growers and traders in Kashmir are having to pay for cold storages, they are earning nothing as the coronavirus lockdown has forced all markets and transport to shut. As many as 100,000 tonnes of apples are lying in cold storages based in Lasipora Pulwama, Aglar Shopian, and some areas in north Kashmir. According to traders, there was satisfactory demand for apples but it all vanished overnight when the nation-wide lockdown began.

The apple industry in Kashmir had already suffered heavy losses last year due to the prolonged lockdown after abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and before that, due to unseasonal snowfall, inclement weather, and frequent shutdown of the national highway.

The government had recently allowed traders to export the fruit with limited number of trucks being allowed on the roads, but traders who operate at the fruit Mandi in Azadpur, New Delhi, say there are no buyers due to the lockdown.

Local demand, too, is almost nil. “The government is allowing us to open our outlets only for four hours, from 2pm to 6pm, but there are no buyers,” said Anil Anand, an agent based in New Delhi.

Another trader said that when no buyers come, the fruit is left in the Mandi and the intense hot temperature spoils it.