Kashmir’s apple growers are facing another difficult season as repeated hailstorms, strong winds and above-normal temperatures damage orchards across the Valley just weeks before the main harvesting period.
On August 23, fresh hailstorms hit several apple-growing areas of south Kashmir, particularly in Shopian and Kulgam. In Shopian, nearly a dozen villages, including Pandoshan, Mandujan, Feripora, Kanjiullar, Ramnagri and Kaprin, were affected. Farmers said the latest storm lasted only five to seven minutes but was intense enough to strip leaves from trees and bruise fruit.
The latest damage has added to losses from earlier storms. On August 6, strong winds and hail knocked apples from trees in several parts of Shopian, with some farmers estimating losses of up to 90 per cent. Another major hailstorm on August 14 affected villages including Kapran, Mandujan, Feripora, Pudsoo and Batgund. Officials said damage in some villages exceeded 90 per cent, while individual growers reported losing almost their entire crop.
The situation is particularly worrying because apple cultivation is central to Kashmir’s rural economy. The Jammu and Kashmir apple economy is estimated at around Rs 12,000 crore and supports hundreds of thousands of people through farming, transportation, packaging, trading and other activities. In Shopian, more than 85 per cent of the population depends on apples for their livelihoods.
Weather conditions are adding to the pressure. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2°C, around 2.2°C above normal, while its minimum temperature was 3.2°C above normal. Heavy rain also caused waterlogging in parts of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Growers are now renewing demands for a comprehensive crop insurance scheme covering hail, strong winds and other extreme weather events. They have also sought subsidised anti-hail nets to protect orchards.
At the same time, apple growers are seeing relatively better market prices this season, partly because of a reduced crop in Himachal Pradesh. The Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association has urged the government to use the Market Intervention Scheme to procure hail-damaged apples for local consumption and provide relief to affected farmers.
For Kashmir’s growers, however, the immediate challenge remains clear: protecting a crucial crop from increasingly unpredictable weather while ensuring farmers have a reliable financial safety net when disaster strikes.
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