Present status of Apple in Jammu and Kashmir

The apple industry of Jammu and Kashmir, valued at nearly ₹12,000 crore annually, directly or indirectly supports around 3.5 million people in the Union Territory, making it the valley’s most important horticultural sector and a major pillar of the regional economy. With approximately 1.72 lakh hectares under orchards, continuous improvements in fruit quality and productivity have significantly enhanced the livelihoods of growers and the families dependent upon such activity.The Union Territory currently produces about 21 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of apples annually, of which nearly 8 lakh MT are classified as A-grade, 7 lakh MT as B-grade, and 6 lakh MT as C-grade. A-grade apples require Controlled Atmosphere(CA) Storage to maintain quality during storage, which in turn also in regulating market supply. However, instead of the requisite 8 lakh MT storage capacity the existing scientific storage capacity in the UT is only 4 lakh MT. As a result, the remaining 4 lakh MT of A-grade apples are sold immediately after harvest at lower prices.Although 10–12 new CA storage units of capacity 5000MTeach are added every year in the valley, at such rate the UT would require 7–8 more years to achieve the total CA storage capacity needed for all A-grade apples. However, CA storage alone is not enough to preserve  fresh fruit quality. Once apples are removed from CA stores after 5–8 months and transported to distant markets in India, they rapidly lose quality due to long transit periods and high temperatures. The shelf life of apple is only 8–10 days, and even shorter when temperatures exceeding40°C, after being taken out of a controlled atmosphere store leading to reduced market value as compared to imported apples. To overcome this challenge, apples must be treated with 1-MCP within 1–2 days of harvest at proper maturity. When CA-stored apples are treated with 1-MCP, they can retain quality for up to 25 days after removal from storage, enabling better transportation, access to premium markets, and higher returns to growers. The 1-MCP application technology has already been tested and disseminated by the Division of Food Science and Technology, SKUAST-K, and has been successfully adopted by many CA storage owners in the Valley.

B-grade apples, accounting for nearly 7 lakh metric tonnes, are currently transported directly to local and national markets. The major national marketing centres for B-grade Kashmir apples include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The normal shelf life of Red Delicious, which is the Valley’s dominant variety, is 20–25 days when the temperature remains below 25°C. However, by the time these apples are harvested, packaged, transported and delivered to distant markets—usually within 15–20 days—they lose firmness and juiciness, and as such reach consumers in mealy and poor condition, and consequently fetch low market prices.Farmers are compelled to flood fruit mandis across the country with nearly 11 lakh MT of apples (7 lakh MT B-grade + 4 lakh MT displaced A-grade), providing temporary psychological relief in the short term once the product is dispatched. Unfortunately, when farmers receive their final sales statements, the returns are far below expectations, causing distress and financial losses in the long term. It is therefore essential that the administration should also focus to establish adequate cold storage facilities across apple-growing regions of Kashmir to hold the B-grade apples and also the remaining A-Grade apples  till they are dispatched to the market. This would regulate supply, prevent market flooding, preserve quality, and enable better price realization. Additionally, all the apples whether A-grade or B-grade can be treated with 1-MCP in these cold stores before being sold as fresh, ensuring that fruit reaches consumers in good condition. Until sufficient storage infrastructure for 11 lakh MT apples is created, the Division of Food Science and Technology, SKUAST-K, has successfully tested an alternative method to extend shelf life using 1-MCP coated strips and sachets. When these strips and sachets are placed inside an airtight pack, the controlled-release of 1-MCP is activated by moisture produced through fruit respiration during transport and retail. The released 1-MCP competes with ethylene for receptor sites in the fruit tissues, preventing ethylene-induced ripening and thereby slowing softening and quality deterioration. These 1-MCP coated strips and sachets are now available in the Indian market through several companies. For effective use of these 1-MCP coated strips/sachets Apples must first undergo a starch-iodine test, and the starch index should be 2.5–3.0 (optimum maturity stage). A 1-MCP sachet sufficient for 10 kg apples costs ₹14, and one for a 17 kg box costs ₹20.

C-grade apples (6 lakh MT) include pre-harvest drops, mechanically damaged fruit during harvesting or other operations, bird-damaged fruit, etc. These apples are meant strictly for processing and must not be transported outside the valley to be sold as fresh produce. Selling them fresh in other states damages the reputation of Kashmiri apples and adversely harms the horticulture industry. In 2025, some growers transported pre-harvest drop apples outside the Valley and due to heavy rains and landslides the national highway remained  closed for more than 20 days. When these preharvest drop apples, classified as C-grade, remained stuck on the highway for more than 10 days, they rotted, creating severe disposal and environmental issues. The Division of Food Science and Technology SKUAST-K strongly recommends that C-grade apples should not be sold as fresh particularly outside Kashmir valley and should only be used for processing into value-added products which has national as well as international market such as:

• Apple juice

• Apple concentrate

• Apple cider

• Apple powder

• Apple chips

• Jams and preserves

However, unfortunately  the UT’s present apple processing capacity is only 1 lakh MT although some 40000-50000 C-grade apples are sold locally as fresh, yet remaining nearly 4.5 lakh MT go to waste, contributing to 19–20% post-harvest loss in apple—a burden borne entirely by farmers. Bearing a 20% loss is economically unsustainable for our farmers, and the administration must act urgently. Jammu and Kashmir continues to face significant post-harvest losses due to gaps in infrastructure, handling, storage, and logistics. The central sector schemes of MoA & FW, MoFPI, MoC&I, along with APEDA, NHB, and region-specific initiatives like J&K’s Holistic Agriculture Development Programme, can collectively address these challenges through financial support, infrastructure creation and technology adoption. These schemes should not only reduce quantitative and qualitative losses but also promote value addition, agro-entrepreneurship, FPO strengthening, and export competitiveness. Through these schemes we can promote entrepreneurship in fruit processing by involving educated unemployed youth, especially those trained in horticulture, post-harvest technology and food technology, and create a robust processing sector to reduce postharvest losses  in apples to less than 10% and enhance farmer income, which in turn will infact lead to accelerated GDP growth of the whole UT. Overall, an integrated and scheme-driven approach is essential for enhancing value addition of apples which will  minimizing postharvest losses and unlocking the vast potential of horti-business in Kashmir.

Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh Assistant Professor division of Food Science and Technology SKUAST-K Beighmushtaq2010@gmail.com