Srinagar, Sep 16: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Saturday expressed concern over the extensive damages caused to standing apple crops in south Kashmir’s Shopian district due to an overnight hailstorm.
Echoing the plight of affected horticulturalists, the party’s senior leader and Agriculture Committee head Javed Dar demanded compensation for the horticulturalists who have suffered losses.
“Our fruit growers had pinned their hopes on the annual produce. Earnings they would have made would have gone into running their households and repaying debts, dues and loans. The short but harsh spell of overnight hailstorm spelt doom for them and dashed their hopes,” he said.
According to the cultivators, ice pellets have caused over 60 percent damage to the crop making it unfit for sale, Dar said, adding, “I hope the administration will lose no time to assess the damages and provide adequate compensation to the affected farmers.”
He lamented that “whenever natural calamities cause damage to the fruit and crops, the worse affected are assured compensation and even surveys are conducted but no relief reaches to them”.
Calling for comprehensive compensation for the farmers and orchardists who suffered extensive damages due to hailstorms, the NC leader urged the government to go for an immediate assessment of damages to fruit and disburse financial relief to the affected families without any delay.
Reiterating his call for the introduction and implementation of the Crop Insurance Scheme (CIS) in Jammu and Kashmir, Javed said the scheme will save the fruit growers and agriculturists in the event of losses suffered due to natural calamities.
