Arreh (Kulgam), Sep 03: Fruit growers in several villages of Kulgam district are in distress after intense gusty winds and a hailstorm caused major damage to apple orchards. They are now urging the government to assess the damage and provide assistance to the affected growers.
Aarif Hussain Ganie, a grower from Arreh village, told Rising Kashmir that their orchards have suffered over 80 percent damage, resulting in the loss of their year-long earnings.
Ganie said that they work round the year, incurring significant expenses on fertilizers and pesticides. The sudden hailstorm and strong winds have destroyed all their hard work, leaving the growers in distress.
“In the past, whenever there was unseasonal snow or hailstorm, the damage caused was hardly compensated, and if anything was given, it was just a few thousand rupees. This time, the damage is in lakhs, and now we request the government to at least provide us relief so that we can pay the pesticide dealers our dues,” he added.
The gusty winds and hailstorm on Monday hit several villages in Kulgam, including Arreh, Awhatoo, Hadigam, Okey, Ves Bata Pora, Khandipora, Mohammadpora, Daderkoot, Khee, Nowpora Chollan, and Pombay, causing significant damage to apple orchards. This apple-rich belt lies mostly in the Pombay and Behibagh blocks.
Meanwhile, teams from the Horticulture and Revenue departments visited several areas on Tuesday to conduct a first-hand assessment of the situation following the hailstorm and winds that wreaked havoc.
Dr. Zahoor Ahmad, Director Horticulture, said that according to the data they collected, 25 villages in Kulgam and 20-25 villages in Shopian district were severely affected. The extent of the damage is estimated to be around 50-60 percent.
Dr. Zahoor added that crop insurance for apples has now been introduced, and the company responsible for it will soon present it to the Chief Secretary for approval. By March, crop insurance will be available for every orchard, which is good news since people have been demanding it for the past 20-30 years. The government will cover about 95% of the premium, and farmers will only need to pay 5%. This insurance will cover losses due to hailstorms, low temperatures, and other adverse conditions, which is crucial as many farmers have taken loans, such as KCC, and their livelihoods depend on their crops.
He further said that 50-60% of the general damage has been inflicted on the orchards. Some areas have suffered more, some less, but the average damage remains significant.
