Crisis ripens in apple belt
Shopian, Jul 11: Scant rains over the last few days have offered little hope to thousands of farmers, particularly apple cultivators, in various apple-rich districts of Kashmir.
In several apple-rich districts like Shopian, Pulwama, Baramulla, Kulgam, and Anantnag, the prolonged dry spell has deepened concerns over water availability, soil moisture stress, and the overall health of the fruit crop.
Growers fear that if the dry conditions persist, it could adversely affect the size, quality, and yield of apples this season, translating into heavy economic losses.
“We were hoping that the rains would bring some relief, but they failed to do so. The showers were too scant to make much difference,” said Tariq Ahmad Mir, an apple farmer.
He said that the soil remains dry, and their orchards are still parched.
“If this continues, we are staring at a serious decline in fruit size and yield,” he said.
Fruit Mandi Shopian President, Muhammad Ashraf Wani, told Greater Kashmir that the rain-fed apple orchards, particularly those located on the Karewas, did not receive any meaningful relief from the recent showers.
“The rainfall was too light to penetrate the dry soil or benefit the trees in a significant way,” he said.
However, Wani said that it helped rejuvenate some streams and rivers.
“In the absence of adequate rainfall, canal irrigation in this dry season remains the only option,” Wani said.
Already burdened by falling market prices, rising input costs, and the threat of erratic weather patterns linked to climate change, many orchardists say they are caught in a vicious cycle of uncertainty and dwindling returns.
However, a senior scientist at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K), said that rains at least broke a long-drawn-out dry cycle and brought the temperature down.
“It also helped protect the apple fruit from sun scald,” the scientist said.
However, he said that due to a rainfall deficit, the apple farmers need to irrigate their farms manually.
