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The hag knocked at the door. The apple smelled of poison and tasted of it, as she collapsed onto the ground. The hag felt relief seeing the poisoned fall victim to her apple.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the bite of their staple fruit-the apple has become bitter from the sweet taste it formerly had.
A picture of the famous Jammu and Kashmiri apples.
One of the staple fruits of Jammu and Kashmir, apples have contributed to (arguably,) the broadest industry in Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, during 2019, the region of Jammu and Kashmir produced over nineteen hundred thousand apples. They account as a prime source of income for many families in Jammu and Kashmir. However, recent issues have prevented the growth of the apple industry. The apple industry in Jammu and Kashmir is falling after its issues with Iranian-Afghani routes and natural disasters. Farmers are devastated while they are attempting to bring their industry back onto its feet, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Kashmiri apple farmer.
Iranian-Afghani routes have destroyed Jammu and Kashmiri apple industries. Illegally imported Iranian apples are being rebranded as Afghani apples which are then sent to Jammu and Kashmir. The striking similarity between the tint and taste of the Jammu and Kashmiri apple to the Iranian apple is uncanny. Thus, many Jammu and Kashmiri people are unknowingly purchasing the illegally imported Iranian apples as opposed to the Jammu and Kashmiri apples due to the Iranian apples being cheaper. The apples aren’t taxed either due to a zero import duty agreement. Consequently, families are having to save money and many families are being forced into having their kids drop their schooling due to the expenses. The importation of illegal apples is having such a vast impact on the economy and society of Jammu and Kashmir. Farmers and their families are worried about the condition of the apple industry in Jammu and Kashmir as October and November pass. If Iranian apples enter the market during this harvest season, it will bear a substantial burden on Jammu and Kashmiri farmers and their apples. They won’t be capable to sustain their livelihoods from their apple orchards due to the importation of illegal Iranian apples.
Since the unprecedented floods that devastated Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir’s apple industry have been destroyed. Not long ago, the deeper snowfall has become a prominent issue, resulting in broken tree branches and destroyed orchards. For some farmers, around half of their typical apple sales have been lost to the recent snowfall that has coated their apples in frost. This is devastating for farmers. In Srinagar, farmers are piling up debt and are abandoning their jobs. Additionally, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has been put on a halt as periods of lockdowns are put into place in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year was deemed a year of gloom for Jammu and Kashmir due to the frequent lockdowns.
However, in December of 2020, rates seemed to be favourable for Jammu and Kashmiri farmers. It’s important to mention the threat of illegally imported Iranian apples was still evident through this time period. This may have been due to the late first snowfall of last year that took place during early November. This year, snowfall has been falling throughout October and November. While the likelihood of this similar pattern playing out this year is unknown, some farmers have still kept their hopes up and have yet to abandon their jobs.
The apple issue in Kashmir is more than red and green, it’s murky and hideous. If this industry collapses this year due to Jammu and Kashmir’s climate, weather, and illegally imported Iranian-Afghani apples, the region could fall with it. In the end, the hag died from her greed as Snow White danced in the wealth of her morality. Hopefully, the farmers in Jammu and Kashmir dance amongst the wealth of their apples instead of falling victim to the very circumstances they can’t necessarily control.
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