Shopian Aug 14 (KNO): A severe spell of hailstorm accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds caused extensive damage to apple orchards and other standing crops across several parts of South Kashmir on Saturday.
According to the details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) in Shopian district, affected areas included Feeripora, Mandujan, Pudsoo, Batagund, Kaprin, Rakhpora and adjoining villages, while in Kulgam while similar damage have been reported from Nihama, Samnoo, Rambhama, Chogalpora, Bathipora, Adijan, Gopalpora and Ladgoo.
“The sudden weather event struck orchards and agricultural fields with intense hail and gusty winds, knocking apples off trees and damaging fruit, branches and foliage. Standing crops were also affected,” witnesses said.
Local growers claimed that the damage in some of the worst-hit areas was more than 90 per cent, though a detailed official assessment is awaited.
Residents said the storm had come at a time when growers were expecting the apple crop to provide them with much-needed income after months of expenditure on pruning, fertilisers, pesticides, labour and other orchard-related activities.
“It was nothing less than a doomsday for us. We have lost almost everything on which our families depend. We spend the entire year working in our orchards and wait for the harvest, but within a short spell of hail and strong winds, our hopes have been shattered,” said a grower from one of the affected villages.
Another orchardist said growers were already struggling with losses and uncertainty from the previous year.
“Last year, we suffered because of the highway closure and the difficulties in transporting our produce. This year, before we could recover from those losses, nature has struck us again. We do not know how we will manage our families and repay the money spent on our orchards,” he said.
Growers said the impact was particularly severe in areas where apple cultivation is the primary source of household income.
They said a major portion of the affected area is directly dependent on horticulture, with the sector supporting not only orchard owners but also labourers, traders, transporters, pesticide dealers and others associated with the fruit industry.
“For most families here, the apple orchard is not just a crop—it is our livelihood, our children's education and the source through which we meet our daily expenses. If the crop is gone, there is no alternative income for us,” said another local.
Several residents said the hailstorm had damaged apples that had reached to the harvesting stage while strong winds also resulted in fruit drop and damage to trees.
“We watched helplessly as apples fell from the trees. The hailstones damaged the fruit and the winds shook the trees violently. We had invested heavily in the orchards, but everything has been destroyed in minutes,” said a grower from Shopian.
The latest damage has further compounded the problems faced orchardists, who have repeatedly witnessed losses due to erratic weather, hailstorms, heavy rains and other challenges. Similar weather-related incidents have affected apple orchards in Shopian and Kulgam earlier this year as well.
Growers have urged the administration to immediately constitute assessment teams and conduct a village-wise and orchard-wise survey to determine the actual extent of damage.
They stressed that the assessment should be transparent and based on the ground situation rather than superficial inspections.
“We request the government to come to the affected villages and see the situation themselves. The losses cannot be understood by sitting in offices. Every orchard should be properly assessed and the compensation should be according to the actual damage,” said a resident.
The affected growers also appealed to the authorities not to limit relief to nominal amounts.
“Giving us Rs 2000 or 4000 after losing an entire year's income would be like adding insult to injury. We need meaningful compensation based on the actual loss. We have spent lakhs on our orchards and now the entire crop is damaged,” another grower said.
Residents demanded that the Horticulture, Revenue and Agriculture departments work together to conduct a comprehensive assessment and ensure that compensation reaches affected families without unnecessary delay.
They also renewed their demand for a stronger crop protection and insurance mechanism, saying repeated weather-related disasters have made horticulture increasingly vulnerable.
“We are not asking for charity. We are asking for support after losing the crop because of a natural calamity. The government must stand with farmers in this difficult situation and ensure that no affected family is left without assistance,” the growers said.
The affected orchardists said immediate intervention was necessary not only to provide financial relief but also to protect the future of families whose livelihoods remain heavily dependent on horticulture.
KASHMIR VALLEY FRUIT GROWERS-CUM-DEALERS UNION EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union has expressed deep concern over the devastating hailstorm that struck various areas of Shopian and Kulgam districts, causing extensive damage to fruit orchards and inflicting huge losses on fruit growers.
The Union in a statement said the hailstorm has left behind heartbreaking scenes of destruction in the orchards. “Many affected growers were seen in deep distress and anguish after witnessing the devastation of their standing fruit crops, which represent their primary source of livelihood,” the statement said.
It said the horticulture sector is already facing several challenges, and such natural calamities have further aggravated the difficulties faced by fruit growers.
The statement expressed serious concern over the absence of an effective Crop Insurance Scheme for fruit growers in Jammu & Kashmir. “In the absence of crop insurance, growers are forced to bear the entire burden of losses caused by natural calamities,” it said.
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union has urged the Government to immediately dispatch assessment teams to the affected areas, conduct a comprehensive assessment of the losses, and provide adequate compensation and immediate financial assistance to the affected growers.
The Union further stated that it has been demanding the introduction and effective implementation of Crop Insurance and the MIA (Market Intervention Scheme) for a long time. These schemes are essential to provide protection and financial security to fruit growers against natural calamities, crop losses and market-related difficulties.
The Union has appealed to the Government to take immediate and concrete measures to provide relief to the affected growers of Shopian and Kulgam and to introduce Crop Insurance and MIA schemes on a priority basis in the larger interest of the horticulture sector—(KNO)