Anantnag, June 22: As pest infestations continue to wreak havoc in the orchards of south Kashmir, a young scientist is stepping up to assist the apple producers by providing free consultation services and educating them about various pests.
Suhail Ashraf Shah, a dedicated Agriculture Research Scholar hailing from the Khiram village in Anantnag, is extending his expertise to support the struggling orchardists in the region.
A SKUAST-K graduate and supported by a team, he is making on-site visits to orchards, disseminating valuable information about diseases, and potential treatments, and fostering an exchange of relevant expertise.
In doing so, Suhail aims to alleviate the challenges faced by apple producers and safeguard the thriving apple industry in south Kashmir. The majority of orchardists in the district, according to Shah, are on average informed about the pests and the best times to apply various pesticides.
He claims to have visited practically all of the orchards in the area. “My goal in offering free consultation was to educate farmers about various topics and impart expertise,” he told Rising Kashmir.
Suhail emphasised the prevailing knowledge gap, expressing that while conducting this endeavour, he extensively explored numerous orchards and made an intriguing observation: the pesticides that were intended to be sprayed after a two-month interval were actually applied earlier than scheduled.
He said there is a moral responsibility to give back to society with the knowledge one acquires. “We have other technocrats and a nontechnical team who help me with this job. We hold meetings with growers and give them the best possible remedies as well as better knowledge about dealing with different pests and other infestations,” he said.
Suhail further said that the leaf miner disease has had little impact in Anantnag orchards, although it has affected certain orchards in the Kanelwan, Wopzan, and other areas. “We have already informed the farmers of the situation and are assisting them in every manner we can,” he said.
Grower Showkat Ahmad Bhat from Magraypora informed Rising Kashmir that his orchard had been infested with scab and that Shah offered free pesticide consultation in order to assist him in safeguarding the orchard. “Whenever we suspect a pest is infesting our orchard, we call him, and he is always there for help and gives us his best advice,” he said.
Showkat said the horticulture department is also assisting and paying a visit to the orchards. “We are always finding ways to achieve higher output, and all Apple producers must be well-informed and quick to act. We have found a messiah in Suhail Ashraf, who is always there to assist,” the locals added.
