With several varieties of cherry ready to be harvested and other fruits in the process of production, torrential rains and hailstorm that severely hit several parts of Kashmir earlier this week have severely damaged the crops causing huge losses to growers.
Cherry growers who witnessed decline of the prices of theirfruit last year now fear for the worst.
Growers say makhmali and mishri variety of cherry along withnewly introduced varieties such as Setela, Italian cherry was battered by thisweek’s torrential rains.
“A kilogram box of Makhmali cherry variety, which sells inthe market at Rs 120 to Rs 150, would ideally fetch a grower Rs 50- Rs 60. Butafter suffering losses due to rains, the growers fear the rates may go furtherdown,” said Manzoor Ahmad Parra, president, Fruit Growers Association,Ganderbal.
As per growers, apple growing areas which were badly hit bystrong hailstorm in North Kashmir are Rafiabad, Langate, Handwara .Growers saidBandipora and Tangmarg which has a huge cultivation of cherry have alsosuffered production losses of upto 40-50 percent.
“Cherry crop was in full bloom right now but torrentialrains and hailstorm has made growers suffer huge losses,” said Bashir AhmadBasheer, chairman, Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, Srinagar.
“We request SKUASTKashmir and Director Horticulture, Kashmir and Director Horticulture Planningand Marketing to depute the concerned staff immediately to all affected areasof district Baramulla, Ganderbal and other areas for the purpose ofascertaining losses suffered. The fruit growers must be made aware aboutnecessary remedial measures to be adopted in order to avoid any damages,diseases in the cherry, apple orchards,” Bashir said. He said Governor Satya Pal Malik and theadvisor incharge horticulture should also grant compensation of losses sufferedin several villages due to heavy hailstorm, stormy winds and rains whichinflicted damages to fruit orchards of the Valley especially north and centralKashmir.
Abdul Rahman Dar, general secretary, Fruit GrowersAssociation, Ganderbal says they were already suffering losses as frequentclosure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway compels them to send their produceoutside the Valley through air cargo.
“We had a plenty of produce this year and the quality ofcherry was also nice so we were hoping that it will fetch us good prices inmandis outside. The rains and hailstorm has damaged the crop which makes itsacceptability in markets quite less. Such quality of fruit mostly lands inprocessing plants,” said Dar. “We are already suffering losses assending the produce outside by air cargo is an added burden. Now high intensityrains have compounded our problem with regard to grading of cherry crop,” Darsaid.
Fayaz Ahmad Malik, president Fruit Growers Association,Sopore said the low prices fetched by Kashmiri fresh fruit last year continuesto haunt the growers, many of whom are burdened with bank loans. “We are unableto come to terms from losses suffered last year. It is very unfortunate thatgovernment does not take up the crop insurance seriously and does not extend itto the horticulture sector in the Valley,” Malik said.