By Tajamul Islam Salroo

In the autumn air of south Kashmir, the scent of apples fills the roads leading to Lassipora.

Over the last decade, the area has transformed into the heart of Kashmir’s apple revolution. Rows of steel chambers and cooling units now stand where open fields once stretched.

Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage has changed how apples are preserved, stored, and sold, giving growers the power to decide when to market their produce.

According to the State Industrial Development Corporation, Lassipora alone has 83 CA stores with a combined capacity of around 3,45,000 metric tonnes.

Shopian adds about 50,000 MT through 10 units. Anantnag, Srinagar, Budgam, and Baramulla contribute another 75,000 MT.

More than 20 new projects are being built, which will raise the valley’s total CA capacity close to 6 lakh MT.

These numbers tell a story of steady progress.

Kashmiri growers for years were forced to sell their harvest at throwaway prices as trucks lined up on highways during peak season. CA storage changed that pattern.

It allowed apples to be stored........

© Kashmir Observer