Orchardists in Baramulla have demanded compensation and implementation of crop insurance scheme after a hailstorm on Thursday inflicted huge losses to apple growers in the frontier district.
Implementation of a crop insurance scheme has been a longpending demand of the apple growers which is yet to be fulfilled by the stateadministration.
The hailstorm on Thursday was accompanied by heavy rainsthat hit around 24 villages of Baramulla district.
The affected areas include over a dozen villages of KandiBaramulla, Sopore, Wagoora, Rafiabad and Zaingeer areas.
“The damage is huge as apple blossoms were badly damagedduring the 15-minute hailstorm. The loss is in crores of rupees. Stategovernment must form a team of horticulture officials to assess the losses,”said Ajaz Ahmad Mir, an apple grower from Rafiabad area of the district.
The government had issued a warning on Thursday thatmoderate rain, with hailstorm and gusty winds were likely to hit some parts ofBaramulla, Sopore, Kupwara, and Srinagar.
Kashmir produces nearly 20 lakh metric tons of apple everyyear from 14,6016 hectares of land 95 percent of which is sent to differentparts of India while some varieties are exported to Bangladesh.
Considered as backbone of Kashmir’s economy, the Rs 8000crore apple industry is in a shambles as government’s alleged ignorance andchanging climatic conditions have adversely affected crop production across theKashmir for several years now.
“The apple trade has also witnessed less demand in themarket since last few years with the result around 9 percent of the applesproduced in last year are lying at fruit Mandi Sopore and at different coldstores,” said Fayaz Ahmad, president of fruit mandi in Sopore.
“If authorities are serious about this industry then theyshould introduce crop insurance scheme so that losses due to natural calamitycan be minimized.”