South Kashmir apple farmers rush harvest amid rain, snow forecast

Shopian, Oct 3: Thousands of apple farmers in south Kashmir are racing against time to harvest their orchards after the Meteorological Department issued an adverse weather advisory forecasting rain in the plains and snow in the higher reaches of J&K beginning Saturday.

In the upper reaches of Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Anantnag districts, farmers have accelerated apple-picking operations, fearing heavy losses from unseasonal precipitation.

According to the MeT advisory, the region is under the influence of a western disturbance likely to bring moderate to heavy snowfall in high-altitude areas, including Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Zojila Pass, Pir Ki Gali, Razdan Pass, Sinthan Pass, and Kupwara-Sadhna Pass. “Moderate snowfall is expected in the middle reaches, while the plains of Kashmir could see light to heavy rainfall. Jammu may experience isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds of 40–50 km/h, gusting up to 60–70 km/h,” the advisory said.

Mohammad Ashraf Wani, president of Mega Fruit Mandi in Shopian, said around 60 to 70 percent of the apple crop in the upper reaches of south Kashmir remains on the trees. “The weather forecast has forced farmers to hire additional labourers to harvest the produce as quickly as possible,” he said.

Manzoor Ahmad, an apple grower from Chek Saidpora in Shopian, said he began harvesting just two days ago, with most of the crop still uncollected. “We have engaged extra labourers to bring in the fruit before the rains and snowfall hit,” he said.

Echoing similar concerns, Mohammad Shafi, a farmer from Manzgam in Kulgam, said farmers in his area had also sped up harvesting operations. “Everyone is working overtime to ensure the apples are picked before the adverse weather arrives,” he added.

The warning has stirred memories of 2018, when unseasonal snowfall devastated apple orchards in Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag, causing severe losses. Many farmers fear a repeat could threaten the crop, their primary source of livelihood.

“This season, apple farmers have already faced huge losses due to the prolonged closure of the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Early snowfall like that of 2018 could only add to our woes,” said Abdul Rashid Bhat, an apple cultivator from Pulwama.