Srinagar, Sept. 23 -- Srinagar- Apple growers in Kashmir are seeing some relief this season, with prematurely fallen "Giran" apples fetching better returns than last year while demand for cold storage has risen sharply amid efforts to avoid distress sales during the peak harvest period.

Growers said a crate of Giran apples is currently fetching between Rs 100 and Rs 250, depending on quality and demand. Though the rates remain well below those of marketable apples, growers said the returns are helping them recover part of the costs incurred on labour, pesticides and orchard maintenance.

"Last year, we had difficulty even finding buyers for Giran apples. A lot of the fruit was left to rot because traders were reluctant to purchase it ami...