Srinagar: The Asia’s largest fruit market is in a pretty bad shape owing to state government’s apathy. Sub standard pesticides and various other fertilizers have caused fruit growers a loss of Rs 500 crore, laments Fayaz Ahmed Malik, president wholesale fruit market Sopore told KNS.
“Though Sopore is considered to be Asia’s largest fruit market, but it is devoid of any modern facilities to make it one of the best markets in Asia,” he rued. The fruit market of Sopore was established in the year 1988. Every year fruit worth Rs 4 Crores is sold in different parts of the country. However, the irony is that the fruit produced here gets rotten sooner due to unavailability of cold storage in the area.
He further said that there is no availability of potable water and roads are in a dilapidated condition which causes a lot of inconvenience to the traders. “The present Government is doing away with a scheme introduced by PDP Government whereby C-Grade fruit would be sold on the spot, which was beneficial for the farmers.” He said the matter was brought to the notice of the chief minister Omar Abdullah and other ministers also, but no action has been initiated in this regard so far.