Srinagar, Sept. 8 -- Road repairs along the Jammu-Srinagar highway have halted thousands of trucks carrying apple produce to the markets in other parts of the country. This has worried apple farmers who fear the further delay will rot the produce. This, in turn, would not only cause massive losses to the farmers but also inflict a crushing blow to the Valley's economy as a whole. According to an estimate, there are 800 trucks stranded on the highway. Incidentally, this year has witnessed a bumper crop of apples. But the delay in reaching markets in New Delhi and the other parts can turn it all to dust.

The people in the Valley at large have become concerned about the already beleaguered sector. The Kashmir Valley produces two-thirds of ...