Hailstorm wreaks havoc on apple belt

Shopian, Jun 2: An intense hailstorm lashed multiple villages in the Imam Sahab belt of south Kashmirís Shopian district on Monday, battering hundreds of apple orchards in the area.

At around 2:30 pm, a sudden hailstorm swept through Nagbal, Handew, Wadipora, Alsshipora and Dasu villages, devastating vast apple farms that serve as the economic backbone for thousands of families in the district.

The farmers from the affected villages said that rains followed by hailstones caused damage to apple crops.

ìThe hailstorm lasted for more than 15-20 minutes and caused much damage to the fruit,î said Basharat Ahmad, a farmer from Handew.

He said that chickpea-sized hailstones damaged almost the entire apple crop.

The farmers pegged the extent of damage between 60 to 70 percent.

Soon after the hailstorm, videos surfaced online showing distressed farmers inspecting the damage to their orchards, many breaking down in tears as they assessed the losses.

ìMy sister is getting married next month and I had pinned all my hopes on this harvest. We are left with nothing,î a distressed farmer said in an online video.

He said that after every calamity, officials from the Horticulture Department visit the orchards to assess the losses.

ìLater, they pay a few hundred rupees in the name of compensation,î the farmer said.

Kashmir produces around 20 lakh metric tonnes of apples annually with around 35 lakh people directly or indirectly relying on the industry for their livelihood.

Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, president of the All India Kisan Sabha (Jammu and Kashmir), told Greater Kashmir that farmers continue to face repeated losses due to the lack of a crop insurance scheme and other protective measures.

He urged the government to introduce comprehensive, farmer-friendly policies to safeguard the struggling apple industry.

Bhat also called for proper compensation for those affected, saying that the compensation offered by authorities is meagre.

ìWe demand timely financial relief that truly reflects the extent of losses suffered by growers,î Bhat said.