Srinagar, Aug. 20 -- Kashmir produces nearly four-fifths of India's apples. It is more than a regional specialty, it is a backbone of our economy. Orchardists, laborers, transporters, commission agents, and market vendors all depend on this fruit trade. A dip of even a few rupees per kilo affects all of them: wages fall, debt grows, and smallholders edge closer to ruin.
Today, that danger is no longer theoretical. Wholesale prices in the Valley are already down, while input costs, electricity, irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides continue to rise. Farmers who borrowed to maintain their orchards through the Kisan Credit Card scheme are staring at mounting repayments. When agriculture is pushed into such a squeeze, the effects for farmers a...
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