On Tuesday, as a convoy of 12 pick-up vans carrying different varieties of fruits from the Valley crossed the Kaman Bridge, fruit growers lined up on the LoC to see off the vehicles. The mood was upbeat. After all, locals were witnessing trade between the Kashmir Valley and Pakistan occupied Kashmir after 61 years. India and Pakistan have agreed to start cross-border trade from Kaman in Uri and Chakanda Bagh in Poonch.

The Kashmiri fruit growers were ecstatic because the opening of the trade route would give them access to markets across Pakistan and Gulf countries via Muzaffarabad.

“For fruit growers, the trade link is a good omen,” said Bashir Ahmad Bashir, president of fruit mandi at Parimpora. “Though only symbolic trade has started on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route, it can create another market for the fruit growers,” he said, adding, “When our fruit reaches the Bangladeshi mandis, the rates in the various mandis across India go up and when the border closes, the rates decline.” Bashir hoped that once a full-fledged cross-LoC trade starts, the rates of the different varieties of apples would automatically go up.

At present, Kashmir produces 15 lakh metric tonnes of different varieties of fresh and dry fruits. “Till now, fruit growers had only one market. But with the opening of cross LoC route, via PoK, Kashmiri apples could be marketed across Pakistan,” said Ghulam Rasool Bhat, president of Fruit Growers Association said. “Pakistan also produces fruits, but its quantity is four lakh metric tonnes,” he said.

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