Arjumand Wani
SHOPIAN, Oct 16: In a distressing turn of events, a severe hailstorm wreaked havoc on several villages in south Kashmir districts of Shopian and Kulgam on Sunday evening. This natural disaster caused significant damage to apple orchards that had not yet been harvested.
The hailstorm struck villages such as Kanjiullar, Kapran, Feripora, Pratappora, and Vehil in the Shopian district, while reports of extensive damage to apple crops also emerged from Behibagh, Kader Dadrkoot, and Shiganpora villages.
Describing the ordeal, farmer Muhammad Asif said that the hailstorm persisted for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, bringing ruin to the unharvested apple crop. He lamented that about 60 percent of the crop in the area remained unpicked, as the apple harvesting season had only recently begun last week.
Another farmer shared his distress, mentioning that the hailstones, about the size of chickpeas, left marks on the apples, rendering them suitable only for selling at very low prices.
In the adjacent Kulgam district, farmer Muhammad Younus expressed his dismay as the hailstorm caused extensive destruction to apple orchards and vegetable crops. The hailstorm in that area lasted for 7 to 10 minutes.
The apple farmers in this region have already faced substantial losses in recent years due to a combination of factors, including the frequent closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, market saturation, and unseasonal snowfall. Despite lower production, they had high hopes for better market prices this year. Unfortunately, these hopes have been dashed by the intense hailstorms.
Senior CPI (M) leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami raised concerns about the significant damage caused to apple crops by the hailstorms. He called upon the government to provide fair compensation to the affected apple farmers and stressed the urgent need for implementing a comprehensive crop insurance scheme to protect the livelihoods of these farmers.
