Rains, cold weather delay agri, allied activities in Kashmir

Srinagar, June 02: This year, the continuous rains and cold weather have delayed the agriculture and horticulture activities in Kashmir leaving the farming community in the region worried.
Apple growers said in March the increase in temperature caused early bloom of apple and other crops however in April the decrease in temperature due to rains affected the blossoming.
Farmer said this is for the first time that the majority of the apple growers did not use fertilizers in March and April and not even in May due to the rains and dip in temperature.
“We would usually go for the fertilizers in March end or in April. But the rains delayed the exposure of apple trees to diseases. This year the temperature may affect the quality of fruit,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, a fruit grower from Budgam.
Not only this, the farmer said the prolonged rains have also disturbed the spraying schedule for the pesticides in the region.
Farooq Ahmad, a farmer from Sopore said they also did not use fertilizers this year and the farming community is worried about the crop production of apples and other crops this year.
Subject Matter Specialist, Directorate of Horticulture Kashmir, Mohd Amin Bhat said this year farmers could not spray their orchards on proper time inviting scab.
“Farmers/orchardists could not spray or use fertilizers on time and also the growth of the fruits including apples has been hampered and it may also hamper the quality of the fruit,” he said.
On the other side, rains and cold weather have delayed agriculture activities including paddy as the paddy nurseries were affected due to the dip in temperature.
“We are not sure whether the already sown paddy in nurseries would fetch any result or not. The rains have affected most of the nurseries,” said Mudasir Ahmad, from Baramulla.
Some paddy farmers from Budgam said that they have resown paddy three times this year and still they are not sure about the results due to the weather disturbances.
“Majority of paddy nurseries were damaged in several villages due to hail storms and snow in nearby mountains,” said Nisar Ahmad, a farmer from Khag, Beerwah.
He said many farmers in the district have sown fresh paddy seed fearing that the already sown seed in existing nurseries might not grow further.
“This has never happened before. The continuous rains, hailstorm, and decrease in temperature in May has serious consequences on the agriculture and horticulture industry,” he said.
Agriculture experts said that uneven weather conditions have been never seen in Kashmir in the past twenty years.
Mohammad Iqbal Banday, Junior Agriculture Extension Officer, Department of Agriculture Kashmir said that the paddy nurseries have suffered damage and paddy transplant has also been delayed.
He also said that sowing of maize has also been delayed and suggested farmers to sow newer varieties/composed varieties/local varieties like C4, C15, C7 varieties. “The local varieties can grow and ripe early and farmers should use these varieties,” he said.
Banday also said that the sowing of beans has been delayed and now farmers should sow and prefer short-duration varieties keeping in view the short duration of season.
Regarding pea, he said the rains have caused water logging in land and which can also lead to waterborne diseases like root rot and rates of pea are also down in the market.
Tahir Ahmad Tahir, Agriculture Extension Assistant Agriculture Department Kashmir, said due to rains and dip in temperature many nurseries have failed or have been unsuccessful.
“This year’s paddy crop will mature very late. The changing weather conditions would also affect crop production. When there is more moisture in land there are chances of more diseases,” he said.
Tahir said 30 percent of paddy nurseries have been damaged due to the rains.
“Normally the paddy transplant would end in May end in the lower belt areas of Kashmir but this year it is yet to be started. Similarly, in upper belt areas farmers would start in mid-June,” he said.