Almost every harvest season, apple growers in Kashmir bear the brunt of frequent closures of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the Valley’s key arterial link with the rest of the country, suffering heavy losses as a result. During the ongoing apple season, landslides and road works have forced repeated closures of the highway, leaving hundreds of fruit-laden trucks stranded along the route. Bashir Ahmad Basheer, chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union, said a truck carrying apples usually takes 15 to 18 hours to reach the Azadpur Mandi in Delhi. LossesAlthough farmers have not yet calculated the losses of this season, last year the industry estimated the losses between ₹1500 to ₹2000. Alternat routeAccording to farmers, there is still no reliable alternative to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.