‘An open invitation to disaster’: Poor-quality Trellis Systems fail in Kashmir orchards

Anantnag, Aug 10: On Thursday morning, Arif Shafiq Bhat of Mirdanter village in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was preparing to harvest ruby-red apples from his eight-kanal high-density orchard. Minutes later, a sudden gust of wind flattened the entire trellis system holding up his apple trees, leaving a season’s worth of work in ruins.

A trellis system is a framework of posts and wires (or lattice structures) designed to support and train climbing plants, commonly used in agriculture and horticulture to optimise the growth, health, and productivity of crops such as high-density apple, grapevines, caneberries, and certain fruit trees.

Bhat’s orchard was developed by a private company in 2019, part of a growing trend toward high-density apple cultivation aimed at boosting quality and yields. But the promise turned into devastation.

“I had been waiting all year for this moment. The apples were ready for market, and I expected a good return,” he said.

“A mild wind brought everything down. The trellis was too weak to withstand even moderate weather. If standard material and proper engineering had been used, this wouldn’t have happened. Now I face huge losses that will take years to recover.”

The incident highlights a larger, troubling reality in Kashmir’s apple industry: the widespread use of substandard trellis systems in high-density orchards. Intended to support trees for decades, many are built with poor-quality galvanised iron (GI) pipes and faulty installation, leaving them vulnerable to snow and wind damage, and putting farmers’ investments at risk.

Industry experts say much of the infrastructure is made with GI pipes under 1.5 mm thick, weighing less than 10 kg, far below the strength needed for orchards expected to last 40–50 years. Many of these pipes do not meet the Indian Standard (IS) 1239 benchmark of 5.5 kg per metre for 60 mm diameter.

Under IS 1239, GI pipes are graded by thickness: Class A (light grade) at about 2.0 mm, lasting 5–8 years in soil; Class B (medium) between 2.65 mm and 4.05 mm, lasting 8–15 years; and Class C (heavy) between 3.25 mm and 4.85 mm, lasting 15–20 years. Most experts agree that only Class C pipes with at least 4 mm thickness and 250 GSM zinc coating are fit for long-term orchard use.

“Most developers here use Class A or worse, which can collapse easily,” said a developer, requesting anonymity.

A horticulture engineer warned that the reliance on thin, under-spec pipes is a disaster waiting to happen: “Only Class C pipes are suitable for in-soil use. Anything less is an open invitation to structural failure.”