Baramulla: A severe hailstorm accompanied by heavy rain and gusty winds caused widespread damage to orchards, vegetable fields and standing crops across several areas of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Tuesday, triggering concern among farmers over heavy financial losses.
The worst-hit areas included Kreeri, Pattan, Chandoosa, Sheeri, Narvaw, Rafiabad, Boniyar, Tangmarg and several adjoining villages, where large hailstones battered orchards and agricultural fields for several minutes.
Farmers said the hailstorm damaged apple blossoms and tender fruit at a crucial stage of the horticulture season besides flattening vegetable crops.
“The hailstorm destroyed blossoms and tender fruit within minutes. Farmers have suffered huge losses,” said apple grower Adil Ahmad from Kreeri.
Another farmer, Bashir Ahmad from Kalayban, said the weather disaster had caused extensive damage to crops and orchards.
“We invest our entire year’s earnings into orchards and crops. Such weather disasters destroy months of hard work in a few minutes,” he said.
The affected farmers urged the administration and Horticulture Department to conduct an immediate assessment of the losses and provide compensation to growers.
Following the hailstorm, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir issued an advisory asking farmers to take preventive measures to minimise secondary infections and further damage in orchards.
The advisory recommended immediate drainage of stagnant water, removal of damaged branches, proper orchard sanitation and use of protective fungicidal sprays.
Experts have linked the increasing frequency of hailstorms and erratic weather conditions in Kashmir to changing climate patterns and warned that repeated weather shocks could adversely affect fruit production and the livelihoods of thousands of families dependent on horticulture.
