Kashmir’s `20,000 Cr Fruit Sector Feels the Heat of Climate Change
Srinagar, July 5: Kashmir’s prized fruit economy, worth over `20,000 crore annually, is teetering on the edge as an intense heatwave, prolonged dry spell, and worsening impacts of climate change severely disrupt apple production across the Valley. The crisis, driven by erratic weather, prolonged dry spells and ecological degradation, has left fruit growers reeling under mounting losses, debt, and uncertainty.
Known as India’s “Apple Bowl,” Kashmir produces nearly 80% of the country’s apples. But the industry that sustains over a million livelihoods — from orchard owners to packers, transporters, traders, and exporters — is now showing clear signs of distress.
This season, apple growers across the Valley are apprehensive of a drop in yield compared to previous years. Even where fruit has survived the brutal temperatures, quality has taken a hit.
“Fruit size has reduced. There’s sunburn on apples, and premature fruit drop is common this year,” said Bashir Ahmad Basheer, President of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Union. “There’s no doubt the prolonged dry spell and soaring temperatures have devastated the crop.”
Many trees are moisture-starved, and their canopy are showing signs of leaf burn. Even premium-grade apples from regions like Shopian, Sopore, and Pulwama — known for their high-altitude climate — have shown reduced colouring and size.
More than 55% of Kashmir’s orchards rely entirely on rainfall. With the current dry spell stretching over two months in several districts, farmers say they are witnessing an unprecedented water crisis.
“Our trees are wilting. Small farmers have no borewells. We are completely dependent on rainfall,” said Ghulam Hassan Bhat, an orchardist from Baramulla. “If this continues, we may lose the entire crop.”
Experts from SKUAST-Kashmir (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology) warn that the Valley’s orchards are operating under severe water stress. Without intervention, thousands of hectares of apple plantations may dry out by August.
The dry, hot conditions have also triggered a spike in pest infestations and fungal diseases. Farmers report unusually high attacks of aphids, red spider mites, and woolly aphids — pests that typically thrive in stressed trees.
“The lack of rain has made it worse. The pests are unchecked, and diseases like powdery mildew and sooty blotch are spreading fast,” said Fayaz Ahmad Malik, President of the North Kashmir Apple Growers Association. “We are using more chemical sprays, but that raises our cost of production and is damaging to long-term soil health.”
Growers say input costs have doubled over the last three years — from fertilisers to fungicides and water pumps — even as returns have fallen due to reduced yields and market saturation.
Climate irregularities have also led to disruptions during pollination and fruit formation. Early blooming, followed by sudden frosts or cold snaps during March and April have destroyed fruit buds in some belts.
According to data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), mountainous regions such as Kashmir are warming almost twice as fast as the global average. Local environmental degradation is amplifying this effect.
In the last 20 years, the Valley has witnessed rampant construction on wetlands and orchards, deforestation in key catchment areas, and a sharp drop in green cover. As forests shrink, the land absorbs more heat, intensifying the local temperature rise.
ISRO satellite images and studies by the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) confirm that glaciers feeding the Jhelum, Lidder, and Sindh rivers have shrunk by over 15%, accelerating water imbalances and early snowmelt.
With consecutive years of weather-linked losses, farmers are falling into debt traps. Banks have seen a sharp rise in loan defaults from horticulture borrowers.
Beyond income loss, the mental stress is taking a toll. Several fruit growers’ unions have written to the J&K government requesting compensation, crop insurance reform, and a climate resilience fund.
The effects of climate change aren’t limited to orchards. Urban areas in Kashmir — including Anantnag, Baramulla, Pulwama, and even Srinagar — are turning into heat islands, with temperatures soaring above historical norms.
