Shopian/ Anantnag, Sep 18: A hailstorm damaged apple orchards and other standing crops in parts of south Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag districts on Friday, just as farmers were preparing to begin harvesting their crop.
Farmers said an intense hailstorm lashed Melhoura village in Shopian at around 6 pm, damaging apples in orchards in the area.
The storm was accompanied by rainfall, adding to concerns among growers ahead of the harvesting season.
“Rainfall was followed by a hailstorm, which caused damage to the apple crop,” said Javed Ahmad, an apple cultivator from the area.
The hailstorm struck at a particularly sensitive stage for growers, with farmers in several parts of south Kashmir preparing to harvest early varieties of apples.
Damage at this stage can affect both the quality and marketability of the fruit, farmers said.
The latest weather event has added to concerns among apple growers in Shopian, where several villages were hit by hailstorms and strong winds last month.
Farmers in more than two dozen villages had reported damage to orchards following multiple spells of hailstorm and windstorm.
In some affected areas, farmers had estimated crop losses at more than 90 percent, though a comprehensive assessment of the damage was not immediately available.
The repeated weather events have raised concerns among growers at a time when the apple harvest is entering a crucial phase.
A significant share of the Valley’s economy is linked to horticulture, with apples forming the main commercial crop for thousands of farming households.
In neighbouring Anantnag district, farmers in Walarhama and Kullar villages near Pahalgam also reported hailstorm activity and damage to standing crops, including apples.
Ghulam Ahmad, a farmer from Walarhama, said the hailstorm lasted for around six to eight minutes but was intense enough to damage crops in the area.
“The hailstorm lasted for around six to eight minutes and damaged apples and vegetables,” Ahmad said.
Another farmer from Kullar village said the hailstorm carpeted the ground and orchards with a thick layer of hail.
The extent of damage in the affected villages was still being assessed by farmers and local authorities.
The latest hailstorm comes as apple prices in Kashmir’s wholesale markets have also come under pressure amid rising arrivals. Farmers in the plains of Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian, and Kulgam are currently harvesting the Kullu variety, while harvesting in higher-altitude areas is expected to begin shortly.
The combination of weather-related crop damage and market uncertainty has added to the challenges facing growers this season.
Farmers said they were particularly concerned about fruit that had suffered hail damage being downgraded in quality, fetching lower prices in the wholesale markets.
