Hailstorm damages apple orchards in Shopian

Shopian, Aug 7: An intense hailstorm Wednesday evening spelt doom for apple orchards in several villages of south Kashmir’s Shopian district known for producing first-rate apples.

Apple cultivators from Adijan, Pushama, Reshnagri, and Kanjiullar villages of the district said that an intense hailstorm wreaked havoc on their apple farms.

According to the affected farmers, the chickpea-sized hailstones caused bruises on the surface of apples.

President Fruit Mandi Shopian, Muhammad Ashraf Wani said that the hailstorm lasted for 10 to 15 minutes, causing significant damage to both the fruit and foliage.

Bilal Ahmad, an affected farmer, pegged the damage at more than 50 percent.

Many distressed farmers said that the damage was above 60 percent.

Over the last two months, scores of apple-producing villages in the district experienced intense hailstorms, causing substantial damage to the crop.

More than 80 percent of people in the district earn their livelihood through apple farming.

Zahoor Ahmad Rather of the Apple Farmers’ Federation of India (AFFI), J&K Chapter, demanded adequate compensation for the affected farmers.

He said that the farmers would continue to bear the brunt of such calamities unless the government comes up with pro-farmer crop insurance schemes.