Farmers assess widespread hailstorm damage in Shopian

Shopian, Apr 20: As weather showed some improvement on Sunday morning, the farmers in south Kashmir's Shopian district made a beeline for their orchards, trying to assess the damage caused due to hailstorm. On Friday evening, an intense hailstorm lashed dozens of apple-producing villages in the district, wreaking havoc on apple farms.  Throughout the day, orchardists were seen inspecting their fields, examining the fallen blossoms and bruised fruitlets, trying to gauge the extent of the losses. Many apple cultivators expressed despair over the significant damage caused to the apple farms. Suhail Ahmad Sheikh, an apple cultivator and trader from Poshpora area said that the hailstones caused around 7 to 80 percent damage to the fruitlets in the area. "The hailstorm lasted for about 20 to 25 minutes, and when it finally stopped, a thick layer of hailstones blanketed the ground", said Ahmad.

Ghulam Mohammad, 75, another farmer from the village said that he had never seen such an intense hailstorm in his lifetime. Some well-heeled apple farmers from the village pegged the damage to their orchards at more than 80 percent.  Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, a young farmer said that the hailstorm caused over 80 percent damage to his farm, sprawling 7 kanals.

He said that the damage in the neighbouring Donwani village is of the same scale.  However, Mohammad Ashraf Wani, president Fruit Mandi Shopian, told Greater Kashmir that the actual damage could not be assessed at this stage. “Farmers could be able to  assess the damage after a few weeks”, said Wani. He said that nearly 40 percent of the district was affected by the hailstorm. The most affected villages included Kellar, Shadab Karewa, Kanipora, Balpora, Pinjoora, Pahnoo, Wathoo, Pospora and Donwani.