Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 13 

Hailstorms and strong winds damaged apple orchards and crops across several districts of Kashmir this week, growers said, renewing demands for crop insurance in the region’s key horticulture sector.

The worst-hit areas included Sangrama, Wagoora, Kreeri, Pattan, Tangmarg and parts of Rafiabad in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, where farmers said large hailstones and gusty winds destroyed fruit-bearing trees and standing crops within minutes on Tuesday evening.

“The intensity of the hailstorm was so severe that orchards turned white with hail within moments,” said Arshad Ahmad, a fruit grower from the Kandi area of Baramulla.

Residents said nearly 90% of fruit crops in some villages were damaged during the storm, which lasted several minutes and struck during a crucial stage of the apple-growing season.

“We are devastated. We do not know how we will survive now,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a resident of Sheikhpora Wagoora, adding that orchards in the area had suffered extensive damage.

Apple growers said they had expected a strong harvest this year after investing heavily in orchard maintenance and crop care.

“Everything has been ruined. We have suffered huge losses,” said a grower from Kreeri.

The hailstorm triggered panic across several villages as hailstones pounded orchards and vegetable farms late into the evening, residents said.

Local residents and fruit growers urged authorities to conduct immediate damage assessments and announce compensation for affected families.

Javed Hassan Baig, a lawmaker from Baramulla, said the government would provide assistance to affected growers.

In south Kashmir’s Shopian district, another hailstorm swept through apple-growing villages including Kanipora Dal, Kanjiullar and Ramnagri on Wednesday, although farmers there said damage was limited.

“The hailstorm lasted for about two to three minutes,” said Abid Hussain, an apple grower from Kanjiullar. “The impact on orchards in our area was minimal.”

The latest storms marked the second spell of hail damage in Shopian since April. On April 18, hailstorms damaged orchards in Shopian and neighbouring Kulgam district when apple trees were in the flowering stage.

Farmers said repeated weather shocks and the absence of crop insurance had left them financially vulnerable.

“We are without a safety net. Any damage at this stage directly impacts our earnings for the entire year,” another farmer said.

Horticulture is a major contributor to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, with the fruit sector estimated to generate around 100 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) annually and support hundreds of thousands of families linked to apple cultivation, transport, packaging and trade.

Despite repeated government assurances regarding implementation of a crop insurance scheme for horticulture crops, fruit growers said no comprehensive mechanism had yet been introduced.

In a joint representation to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, fruit growers’ associations sought immediate implementation of crop insurance and revival of the Market Intervention Scheme, which previously provided support during market disruptions and crop losses.

The growers also urged authorities, including the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and the horticulture department, to conduct surveys of damaged orchards and announce compensation packages for affected farmers.

Bashir Ahmad Basheer, chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, said growers had repeatedly appealed for insurance coverage and market support mechanisms.

“It is unfortunate that despite announcements regarding a crop insurance scheme and allocation of budgetary provisions, the scheme has not been implemented so far,” Basheer said.

He said most orchard owners in Kashmir were marginal farmers whose livelihoods depended entirely on horticulture income, making them e