Kashmir crisis yielding indirect benefit for Bhutan’s Apple

SILIGURI: Political crisis in Kashmir is yielding extra benefit for the apple growers in India’s nearest Himalayan neighbour Bhutan. In turn, thousands of Indian stakeholders in Northern West Bengal and Assam, associated to Bhutan’s cross country fruit trade with India and Bangladesh, are also enjoying the benefit.

“Against usual price of around 700 Ngultrum (Eqv to INR 700) per box of 20 kg, the price has gone up to over Rs 1000 a box following higher level of demands coming from major trade hubs like Siliguri in West Bengal or Guwahati in Assam, both in India. At the same time, demand from Bangladesh has also taken steep upward turn. With the demand, as obvious, the price has also gone up,” said S. Dorje, fruit exporter in Bhutan.

At Siliguri fruit wholesale market, veteran trader B. Burman said, “The rise in demand for Bhutan stock is indirect effect of shrunken supply from Kashmir region. Frequent transportation disruption due to political crisis there might be the reason. Though not of exactly similar quality to Kashmiri verities, Apples from Bhutan are also good and return reasonable price from retail market.”

“Bangladesh is a major buyer of Apple from Kashmir and Bhutan both. Now supply from Kashmir is taking too long time that dries up the fruit and pulls down its price. Hence, Bhutan is now preferred source with its geographic proximity to Bangladesh,” said M. Hassan an importer from Bangladesh at Fulbari Indo Bangla Land Customs Station.

Being landlocked, Bhutan finds its passage to Bangladesh through Indian land. Thus, many Indian stakeholders including packers, transporters, traders remain involved into the trade. Free passage through open Indo-Bhutan international border facilitates that. “All of them are being benefited with the price hike,” Hassan added.

As estimated, Bhutan exports around 7000 metric ton of apple to India and Bangladesh. This time, the figure is expected to go much higher.

However, “Almost all these supply to eastern India Indian and Bangladesh markets are for local level raw consumption only. We are yet to penetrate deep into the fruit processing industry in central India,” said Bhutan agriculture department officials.