Farmers breathe easy as rains return

Shopian, Jul 17: After weeks of searing heat and cracked earth, rain finally kissed Kashmir’s orchards.

For apple growers and paddy farmers, each drop felt like a lifeline, reviving wilted crops and weary spirits.

“Nature has favoured us. Each drop of rain felt like a blessing,” said Tariq Ahmad Mir, a well-heeled farmer from the apple-rich district of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The rains, which lashed Kashmir over the last few days, brought much-needed relief to thousands of apple farmers across the apple-producing districts of Kashmir, ending a protracted dry spell.

A relentless heatwave since the beginning of June had left apple cultivators distressed, as they feared the high temperatures would affect fruit size, quality, and yield, especially in early varieties that are sensitive to moisture stress.

“The early varieties, including high-density apple cultivars, were in urgent need of relief from the heat wave, as prolonged exposure to high temperatures risked affecting fruit development and overall yield,” Mir said.

Last year, a long-drawn-out dry spell significantly affected the fruit quality, reducing the shelf life and fetching low prices. “The relentless heat caused sunburn on the fruit and reduced the juice content,” said Ghulam Muhammad, an apple cultivator from Zainapora.

He said that the summer heat also caused a significant apple drop. Muhammad said that the timely rains brought a big relief to both apple and paddy farmers.

“The paddy land had turned into cracked sheets of earth,” he said.

A rainfall deficit and unprecedented temperatures in June and early July led to a sharp decline in water levels across key water sources in Kashmir.

At several points, the Jhelum River, the region’s lifeline, had receded to knee-deep levels.

“The rainfall has replenished many streams and rivers,” said Bashir Ahmad. Ahmad said that rain-fed farms, which rely entirely on natural precipitation due to the lack of irrigation infrastructure, had been the hardest hit during the dry spell. “The soil had turned powdery, and we had almost given up hope,” he said. “The recent rains have revived these farms just in time, rescuing apple, paddy, and vegetable crops from possible failure,” Ahmad said.