Inclement weather heavily damaging orchards: Growers

Srinagar, June 15

Fruit growers in the Valley are predicting 80 percent losses in apple production this year due to inclement weather and frequent hailstorms.

Photo Courtesy wn.com

Shakeel Ahmad, a fruit grower from South Kashmir’s Shopian district, a prominent apple belt, says that due to persistent cold weather and frequent hailstorms apple crop has suffered severe damage. “This year we are going to face one of the worst seasons. The recent hailstorm has devastated the entire blossom from the trees,” he says.

“Even the production was down by 60 to 70 percent last year in our area but this year it is worst.”
Experts from the Horticulture Department say that though there is not any generalised picture of the damage, which could be revealed only after the proper survey, but the production graph will go down.

The disease control in the orchards this year too was tough for the growers as pesticide spray schedule was disturbed and rains washed much of the sprays. “In rainy seasons you need to do more sprays to prevent from the scab and other disease due to wet weather. In fact it increases the expenses incurred on the orchards,” Ahmad says.

Another grower, Ghulam Nabi Bhat from North Kashmir’s Rafiabad area, a fruit hub in Baramulla District says that 60 percent apple and pear crop was damaged due to hailstorms. “Our costly variety Delicious has been the worst hit with the apples now decaying on trees,” Bhat says.

“We contacted the experts, and they advised sprays, but this could not be taken forward as rains are constantly dampening any efforts of salvage, of the remaining crop,” he said.

Talking to Kashmir Reader Jammu and Kashmir Fruit Growers Association president Ghulam Rasool Wagay says, “This year we are going to witness heavy loss. Our expensive fruit quality that is Delicious which has witnessed 80 percent damage, will be a heavy jolt on our industry.”

Director Horticulture, GH Shah says that few areas in Shopian have grim situation where the apple crop faces the losses from the beginning of flowering season due to cold temperature, which is not considered good for fertilization. In North Kashmir the fruit was in abundance but later hailstorms damaged it in certain pockets.

Shah says the overall losses won’t be alarmingly low. “Though it is early to quantify the losses in exact figures but production will be less than previous years,” says Shah.

Manzoor Ahmad, District Level Subject Matter Specialist Pomology told Kashmir Reader, that the department is trying its best to make the people aware and the efforts are being reciprocated well by the growers who too are keen to save their crops and work on the guidelines provided to them.
Commenting on this cold temperature and hailstorm, Manzoor Ahmad said that areas in Khag, Chadoora, and Rafiabad where hit, and rains increased humidity in many areas resulting delay in bud formation or stagnation.

However, Wagay maintains that the industry will witness 60 percent damage in the yield.
In 2010 the Valley fruit growers had exported the fruit worth Rs3000 crores while as in 2011 the production was increased up to 5 percent.