Kashmir Apples

Kashmir Apples is located right in the middle of the chaos at Azadpur Mandi, Shop No C/37 on the first floor. If you’ve ever been to the Mandi, you know it’s a world of its own. We are surrounded by crates of fruit and the smell of fresh produce. Our shop is on the first floor, so we have a bit of a view of the trucks coming in from the north. We spend our mornings very early, usually before the sun is even up, because that’s when the real work happens. There are laborers carrying heavy boxes on their backs and shouting all around us. We mostly sit on the floor or small stools, checking the apples and talking to the buyers. The floor is often covered in wood shavings from the crates. It’s a tough environment, very dusty and loud, but we’ve been here for years. We don’t have a desk or a computer setup. Everything is done with paper slips and cash. We know the growers back in the orchards and the local vendors who buy from us. It’s a simple business of moving fruit from one place to another. We don't try to make it sound like more than it is. It’s just hard work, early hours, and making sure the fruit doesn't sit around too long in the heat. We just want to get through the day and get the stock sold before it goes bad. There is no time for anything else in this market.