Lack of Cold Storage, Poor Infrastructure, Weak Export Policy Threaten Fruit Economy

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Srinagar, Sept 23 : The future of Kashmir’s apple industry is under serious threat due to systemic shortcomings that remain unaddressed for decades, warned Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, former Area Marketing Officer (AMO) of the Horticulture Planning and Marketing Department. He described the situation as precarious, saying that unless immediate reforms are initiated, the Valley’s most vital agricultural sector could be pushed to the brink.

Khan pointed out that the industry lacks basic post-harvest infrastructure, which has left orchardists vulnerable year after year. Modern cold storage facilities, controlled atmosphere (CA) units, and fruit processing plants are either absent or too limited in sc

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