As warm weather conditions prevail, fruit quality concerns persist

Shopian, Oct 4: The warm weather conditions have left hundreds of apple cultivators across south Kashmir distraught as the condition impacted the quality of the fruit.

The warm conditions particularly from June to July significantly affected the colour of the fruit, besides causing fruit drop.

Moreover, excessive exposure to the sun has resulted in damage to the surface of the fruit.

Fruit cultivators told Greater Kashmir that the unprecedented dry spell led to the overall reduction of apple quality.

“The fruit this year is not as juicy as it used to be and is a bit soft, which will significantly impact its shelf life,” said Tariq Ahmad, a fruit grower.

President Pesticides Association, Shopian, Peer Shabir said that the protected dry spell had caused the colour loss.

“The continued sun exposure damaged the fruit in the entire area. The sunburns are quite visible on the surface of apples,” he said.

Shabir said that harsh weather conditions prevailed almost the entire year, taking a toll on the apple industry.

"Besides dry and warm weather conditions, multiple spells of hailstorm lashed dozens apple producing villages in Shopian and Kulgam districts,” he said.

President of Fruit Mandi Shopian, Muhammad Ashraf Wani said that the orchardists were witnessing fruit drop.

“The fruit drop is more than usual this year and an above-normal temperature is responsible for it", Wani said.

He said that the temperature during this season should have been 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.

“But over the last few days, it was more than 25 degrees Celsius, which resulted in significant apple drop and sunburn,” said Wani.

However, he said that after a brief price drop, the market began to improve again.

The low quality of fruit has become a cause of concern for apple producers across all four districts of south Kashmir.

"We have apprehensions that the diminished quality might fetch us low prices,” said Javed Ahmad, an apple cultivator.