Hailstorm Shatters Harvest Hopes In Kashmir's Apple Heartland

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Hailstorm Shatters Harvest Hopes in Kashmir's Apple Heartland

By Dr. Waseem Ahmad

Ghulam Nabi paced through his orchard at dawn, boots crunching over a carpet of ice and torn pink petals. Just hours earlier, his apple trees-swollen with delicate white blossoms-had promised a bumper harvest. Then the sky turned violent.

“It sounded like stones raining,” Nabi muttered, gesturing to broken branches and bare twigs.“One storm, and my family's income for the year... gone.”

This is Shopian, Kashmir's“apple bowl,” where 80% of families survive on orchards. But a merciless hailstorm ripped through villages like Keller, Trenz, and Pahnoo, striking at the worst possible moment: peak bloom season. For apple trees, blossoms are babies, the stage when flowers morph into fruit.

The damage is deep. Orchards resemble battlefields: buds battered, branches snapped, ice sheathing the ground. Farmers who spent weeks, and thousands of rupees, on fertilizers and sprays now tally losses in crores.“We've had storms before, but never during bloom,” said 62-year-old Farooq Ahmed, kneeling beside a tree stripped bare.“Even if some fruit grows, it'll be deformed. No market value.”

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Horticulture experts warn of cascading crises. Bruised trees are vulnerable to fungal diseases like collar rot. Without urgent fungicide sprays, next year's growth could falter too. But many farmers lack supplies or guidance.“Copper-based sprays can help, but who's showing us how?” asked Nabi.

The storm exposed cracks deeper than weather. Crop insurance? Most farmers scoff. Despite government schemes like PMFBY, few here enroll.“Last year, my neighbor waited eight months for a claim. He got ₹5,000 against ₹5 lakh in losses,” said Farooq, quoted above.“Why bother?”

Debt is another specter. Many growers rely on Kisan Credit Card loans from Jammu & Kashmir Bank. After back-to-back climate disasters, repayments are impossible.“I took ₹8 lakh for sprays and workers. Now, no apples, no money,” said Nabi.“The bank calls daily. What do I tell them?”

Dr. Zahoor Ahmad, a horticulturist who regularly advises farmers, urges authorities to declare Shopian a“distress zone”, freeze loans and fast-track aid.“Without debt relief, things might turn desperate,” he said.

Some solutions are clear but out of reach. Hail nets, protective canopies over orchards, slash damage by 70%. But costing ₹1-2 lakh per acre, they're a fantasy for small farmers.“The government must subsidize 80% of nets,” argued Dr. Zahoor.“Otherwise, only rich growers survive.”

While modernizing Kashmir's orchards is key, farmers for now salvage what they can. Nabi's sons scrape ice from soil, hoping to save roots. His wife worries about upcoming family weddings and school fees.“Allah decides our fate,” Nabi sighed,“but what about the officials?”

The storm's message is clear: Kashmir's apple economy hangs by a thread. Without swift aid, insurance reforms, and climate-smart farming, Shopian's blizzards will leave more than ice in their wake, they'll bury a way of life.

“This isn't just about apples,” said Dr. Zahoor.“It's about protecting families, culture, and the land itself. If we act now, tomorrow's harvests can still bloom.”

• – Reporting contributed by local orchardists in Shopian, Keller, and Trenz.

• The author is a Horticulture Scientist, SKUAST-K, Shopian.

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