Srinagar, Sept. 25 -- Demand for Kashmiri apples has plummeted drastically this season, with rates dipping to less than half of what growers earned last year, leaving thousands of orchardists across the valley in distress.

Bashir Ahmad Basheer, president of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, said the industry is facing one of its toughest phases in recent history.

"Rates are very low this year - less than even 50 percent of what we earned last season," Basheer said. "The primary reason is the backlog of produce that remained stranded on highways, mandis, orchards, and other storage facilities. This backlog will take nearly a month to clear, and only after that, we may see some improvement. But by then, more apples will...