Heavy snowfall hits fruit industry badly; Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla worst hit

SRINAGAR: The recent snowfall in the valley has severally hit the fruit industry in Kashmir with almost more than 20 percent standing apple crop being damaged with Shopian, Kulgam and Baramulla being the badly hit areas.
The month of November is set to be the end of autumn in Kashmir and valley witness trees shedding their leaves towards the end of the month.
Ghulam Ahmed, fruite grower told over the phone, “Variety of apples like Maharaja and American were yet to be harvested and the snowfall at this season has damaged it very badly”.
He added that this year due to uncertainty we have already suffered a huge economical jolt; now the snowfall which was very heavy has adversely damaged the remaining percent of apple harvest.
It is pertinent to mention here before the seasonal snowfall in December or January, the growers would cut the apple, pear and other fruit trees for better production and to avoid damages during snowfall.
“It was a catastrophe. First three month long uncertainty, now this snow, it has taken heavy toll on the apple grower farmers. I have never seen such kind of situation in last many decades”, Majid Hameed said, whose orchards over 40 acres stand damaged.
“There are many apple grower farmers like me who have taken farmers loan of over more than a million rupees. Now, we have no idea how we are going to pay our loans back”, Hameed said.
He added: “Now we want compensation from the government and we apple growers want banks to waive off our loan.”
An official in the Horticulture department told The News Now that as per the initial assessment Kulgam, Shopian and Baramulla are worst hit area.
“The damage caused by the untimely snow is more than 30 to 40 percent in Shopian and Kulgam. Both the places are heaven for apple growing in the valley. While as 25 percent of the fruit which was yet to be harvested in these twin districts also stand damaged,” he said.
However, the final figures will be released once the field staff and revenue department comes with the data. Then only we will be able to tell how much the damage has been caused by the snow, an official said.
Meanwhile, Director Horticulture Kashmir Aijaz Ahmed Bhat in a written statement on Friday said that as per the preliminary reports both plains and upper reaches heavy damage to orchards has been reported.
He added, “Instructions were issued to all chiefs horticulture officers to gear up the field staff for assessment of damage in consultation with revenue authorities and Panchayat members and furnish the report within shortest possible time so that the same is submitted to government for compensation”.


Updated On 11/10/2019 10:12:20 AM