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.

Bhat said the trade delegation from PoK had assured them that a terminal mandi would be created in PoK from where Pakistani traders would be able to buy produce from the Valley.

Basher Beig, president of the fruit mandi at Sopore, Asia’s second largest mandi, said that while the route can become an alternate all-weather road, sending pick-up vans will serve no purpose. “Big trucks should be allowed to ply on this road every week,” he said.