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| Sopore Fruit Market still a distant dream for fruit growers | | | Syed Tahir Bukhari
Sopore, June 30: Fruit growers of Asia's second largest Fruit Market Sopore lacks basic facilities as the coalition government of Jammu and Kashmir had promised to fulfill their demands, but no work has been done on the ground level here in north Kashmir's Sopore Fruit Market of district Baramulla.
Lamenting space for trading, Mehraj Ud-Din Bhat, a fruit grower said, "The Mandi has the potential of becoming one of the best and biggest fruit trade center of South Asia but it faces sheer neglect from the concerned."
"Unfortunately, no attention has been paid to it for the past two decades, he said.
"Sopore fruit market is Asia's second largest fruit market and employs thousands of farmers and people related to horticulture, Bhat said. "The apple Mandi is considered to be the backbone of Kashmir's economy and the majority of small fruit growers sell their fruits here to agents. However, they complain that the government is not giving it the attention it deserves," Bhat said.
Another fruit grower Nazir Ahmad Dar said that, "After two decades, the road was repaired, but today potholes are visible on entire stretch from Sopore Degree College to the market,"
"If the government would have been really sincere in boosting horticulture sector, they should have constructed a four-lane road here, Dar alleges.
While sharing his views regarding the issue with Early Times, the President Fruit Market Sopore Fayaz Ahmad Malik said, "Sopore Fruit Market is the second largest after Azadpur Fruit Market Delhi."
"Sopore fruit market is in a bad condition owing to state government's apathy. despite the fact that market is witnessing rush of more than 25000-35000 people each day during the peak season, and the market lacks separate water supply scheme, he rued.
Fayaz Ahmad Malik also grumbled that this is irony for Baramulla district which is the highest producer of fruit and yet has no cold storage facility, which is an important facility for the fruit growers. "In the absence of cold stores, tones of apples get damaged ever year, and roads are in dilapidated conditions which cause a lot of inconvenience to the traders, he regretted.
President of traders' association also alleged that the matter despite has been brought to the notice of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other concerned minster also but till date nothing positive has been seen in this direction on the ground level.
He however maintained that Minister for Horticulture, Raman Bhalla had visited here few years back and assured us that Government will take all measure steps to upgrade the existing infrastructure in the Sopore Fruit Market and we are hoping something positive if time and luck favours the merchants.
It is worthwhile to mention here that the fruit market of Sopore was established in the year 1988.every year fruit worth Rs 5 crore is sold in different market of the country.
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