Srinagar, Oct. 8 -- Mohammad Akbar Dar, a fruit dealer who purchased apples from multiple local farmers earlier this year, walks through his store with a heavy heart. Crates filled with apples lie on shelves with no buyers.

With the market down, Dar anticipates a loss of nearly Rs 30 lakh this year. "The market looked promising at the start, but everything has collapsed," Dar said, pointing to rows of crates filled with apples.

Dar is now hoping for the stabilising of the market this winter to minimise his losses. " If the market doesn't stabilize, then I have no option other than to borrow a loan from the banks or sell my land to compensate for my losses," he said.

Across the valley, growers echo Dar's despair. As per the growers, pre...