Pulwama Aug 30 (KNO): Heavy rains accompanied by hailstorm and strong winds wreaked havoc in several areas of South Kashmir during the intervening night of Friday-Saturday, leaving apple orchards extensively damaged and thousands of growers in despair.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the untimely downpour struck at around 3 am, flattening orchards, uprooting trees, and causing premature fruit fall at a time when farmers were preparing for the crucial harvest season.
The areas which were hit include adjoining areas of Trenz in South Kashmir's Pulwama district and Lassipora hamlet in South Kashmir's Pulwama district and for them the night was nothing short of a nightmare.
“Our entire year’s hard work was destroyed within minutes,” said Abdul Rashid, an orchardist from Shopian, pointing to his orchard floor littered with half-ripened apples. “We were expecting a good harvest this year. But after last night’s storm, a large portion of my crop is lying on the ground and is no longer market-worthy. The little that remains on the trees is bruised and will fetch a fraction of the normal price.”
In neighboring Pulwama, the story is no different. Mushtaq Ahmad, another grower, expressed anguish over what he called “government neglect.”
“Whenever we suffer losses worth crores, the government announces relief, but in the end, we receive a few thousand rupees. That is like rubbing salt on our wounds. We cannot survive on token compensation. We need genuine financial assistance and most importantly, a crop insurance scheme that protects us from such disasters,” he said.
Ab Majeed, another orchardist from Shopian said that repeated losses are forcing farmers into debt traps.
“Every year, we spend lakhs on pesticides, fertilizers and labor, and then nature plays havoc. Without a support system, it becomes impossible for small growers like us to sustain our livelihood. We urge Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and ensure a proper relief package is announced. The government must implement the crop insurance scheme without any further delay,” he said.
Experts have also raised concerns about the sustainability of Kashmir’s horticulture sector under such repeated climatic shocks.
“The Valley’s horticulture is already reeling from multiple challenges—spider mite infestations, erratic weather, drought spells and volatile market rates,” explained Ghulam Nabi, a horticulture expert.
“If immediate measures like crop insurance and modern protective infrastructure are not introduced, Kashmir’s apple industry could face a steep decline. And this is not just about fruit—it’s about the livelihood of lakhs of families directly and indirectly dependent on it.”
Local growers have appealed to the administration to conduct an immediate loss assessment survey in the affected areas of Shopian and Pulwama and to release compensation in a transparent and time-bound manner.
Many also stressed that long-term solutions, including crop insurance and subsidies for anti-hail nets, must be prioritized by the government.
“The horticulture sector is the backbone of our economy. If growers are left to fend for themselves every time a storm hits, the economic impact will not be limited to farmers alone—it will cripple the Valley’s overall economy,” said orchardist Nazir Ahmad from Shopian.
As the Valley braces for more unpredictable weather in the coming weeks, apple growers remain anxious, uncertain, and hopeful that this time their pleas for compensation and insurance will not go unheard—(KNO)