Untimely, heavy snow fall has caused huge losses to apple orchards and fruit and vegetable crops in the Kashmir Valley.
“A huge chunk of the apple orchards and un-picked apple crops, besides vegetables fields, were damaged due to early snowfall in Kashmir”, said Mudasir Ahmed, whose apple orchard suffered damage as they were yet to pick the major part of the apples.
“Due to climate change, we have been facing unfavourable weather conditions from past several years causing huge losses to apple growers and orchardists, “said another farmer.
According to the preliminary estimate, more than 25 per cent of apple crop has been damaged due untimely snows,” said President of the Fruit Growers and Buyers Association Fruit Mundi Sopore Fayaz Ahmed Malik.
”Around 200 trucks, laden with apples got stranded on Srinagar-Jammu highway and our apples couldn’t reach Delhi on time for the Diwali festival, inflicting huge losses as the fruit will rot in the trucks,” he told.
From north to south Kashmir, apple orchards present a picture of broken apple trees with fruit either dropped on the ground or hanging from broken branches, said a farmer from Rafiabad. The apple trees have suffered lots of damage due to heavy load of snow piled up on the leaves and fruit.
“We are assessing the damage, but most of the apple trees and the fruit crop have been damaged in snowfall in the valley”, a Horticultural officer said.
