Srinagar, May 16 -- Despite a relatively good harvest of season's first crop - strawberries - in Kashmir, the Pahalgam attack and subsequent war like situation between India and Pakistan affected the returns of growers.

The strawberry farmers, shifting from vegetables and paddy in recent years, are busy harvesting the berries in the valley as the production has been relatively good like last year. Yet, they are not happy.

"The rates are very less, almost half of what were last year. The dealers tell us that the fall was owing to the security situation, both on surface and in air. Good tourist presence in the valley would trigger good demand and we would get good returns," said elderly Ghulam Nabi from Gussu village who started harvestin...