Srinagar, Sept. 18 -- Few sights capture the loss of harvest for Kashmiri farmers more vividly than apples turning black in the back of stranded trucks along the Srinagar-Jammu highway. For nearly three weeks this vital lifeline remained shut for heavy vehicles after rain-triggered landslides. Close to 4,000 trucks carrying apples worth millions of rupees lay stranded. Farmers, who had invested an entire year of care into their orchards, helplessly watched their produce collapse under the weight of rot.

Kashmir produces nearly 80 percent of India's apples, contributing to local livelihoods. When the highway closes at harvest time, the loss can lead to financial ruin for the growers. For truckers too, it is a make-or-break moment.

The r...