Dal vegetables suffice Srinagar’s demand

At the break of dawn, there is a hustle in the interiors of Dal Lake as scores of boats carrying vegetables gather at a point in the water body known as Srinagar’s ‘Floating Vegetable garden.’
Within hours of appearance of vegetable growers on the scene, the trading of locally grown vegetables begins with wholesalers— who then pass it to vendors for consumption in restriction bound Srinagar and its peripheries.
This market, as per vegetable sellers during curfew, restrictions and shutdown has emerged as an important link for them to supply vegetables to Srinagar and its peripheries.
“Floating market is an important source of supply of vegetables to interior Srinagar which since July 9 has remained under siege for most of the time. Presently, even vegetable supply to the old city is dependent on this market,” said Muhammad Yaqoub Mir, a vegetable dealer who daily comes to this market to trade vegetables.
As per vegetable vendors, the vegetable growers from interior Dal Lake areas ferry their produce to the designated place from where it is traded. These vegetables are mostly sold at various spots on the banks of Dal lake from Boulevard to Northern Foreshore Road.
They say that in the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, the Dal Lake’s floating vegetable market— which is a popular destination on tourist itineraries and has been functional for over 100 years now — has become one of the most important source of vegetables, since curfew has not been imposed on the lake and the market functions every morning uninhibitedly.
“Although there was decline in production of vegetables following devastating floods of 2014, however the production of vegetables this year has gone up which is a good sign for the locals as it keeps the price under check and we don’t have to be dependent on outside supplies,” said Ghulam Ahmad, a vegetable grower from Rainawari area.
He said that majority of vegetable demand in old Srinagar city is met from the produce harvested in the interiors of Dal lake.
The rich ecosystem of the Dal wetland produces numerous varieties of vegetables— tomatoes, brinjals, cucumbers, water chestnuts and lotus stem (popularly called nadroo in Kashmiri), among many others.
President, Parimpora Fruit Mandi, Bashir Ahmad Basheer said that “Kashmir this year witnessed bumper vegetable production which is a good for our economic and also keeping in view the situation.”
“Our production this season was good, which means not only it suffices to local demand but we are also exporting vegetables to outside Kashmir,” he said.
As per market observers, the prices of some vegetables have come down by over 50 percent during the ongoing unrest in Kashmir.
He said the decline in the supply of vegetables from other states around this time is being met locally.
“The supply of the vegetables and fruits to Kashmir from outside states has declined by over fifty percent during the last three weeks of curfews and restrictions,” he said, adding that currently they are receiving only 10 to 12 truckloads from outside.
“Except for onions and potatoes, all the leafy vegetables are locally grown and their price is also lesser as compared to those coming from outside. We are working in difficult situations due to restrictions imposed by authorities,” he said.
He praised the vendors and retailers who he said were playing main part in ensuring the supplies reach to the consumers. “Despite the restrictions, curfews and shutdown these vendors risk their life to sell vegetables across Srinagar,” he said.