Srinagar, April 21 (IANS) Police in J&K’s Sopore town said on Tuesday that an FIR has been registered against miscreants for chopping down apple trees in an orchard.

Officials said that the FIR was registered after unidentified persons chopped down dozens of apple trees in an orchard at the Bohripora area in the Sopore area of Baramulla district, causing significant loss to the owner.

The family owning the apple orchard said the incident took place during the night when miscreants entered the orchard and cut several apple trees, many of them high-density plants nearing harvest.

Orchard owner, Qalbi Hussain Mir, said around 55 plants were destroyed. He termed the act deliberate and said the orchard was the family’s main source of income.

“We have suffered a loss of around Rs 5 to 8 lakh. These were high-density apple plants, and we were expecting nearly 800 to 900 boxes this season,” Mir said. The family has sought strict action and urged the police to identify those involved.

“The act appears deliberate, and someone wanted to cause harm to us,” Mir said.

A police official said an FIR has been registered and further investigation taken up.

Sopore area has been known as ‘Chota London’ (Small London) of Kashmir in the past because of the income from the apple orchards.

Despite urbanisation, most areas in the Sopore sub-division are still under apple orchards, sustaining the livelihood of scores of families depending completely on horticulture for sustenance.

Horticulture is the backbone of Jammu & Kashmir’s economy, contributing over Rs 12,000 crore annually and employing around 33 lakh people. Centred on temperate fruits — primarily apples (1.64 lakh hectares), cherries, walnuts, and saffron — the industry contributes roughly 7–9 per cent to the GSDP. Key growth drivers include high-density plantations, cold storage, and government-backed technological upgrades.

Over 7 lakh families are directly or indirectly associated with this sector.

–IANS

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