Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 16: The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union today reported severe damage to fruit orchards in Shopian, Kulgam, Bandipora, and other districts due to hailstorm, seeking compensation and immediate damage assessment by the authorities.
The Union, in a statement issued here, said that the hailstorm, accompanied by intense lightning, left a white layer in the orchards, causing irreparable losses.
It noted that the unseasonal snowfall had been particularly devastating as apples were ready for harvest.
“We have long appealed to include Kashmir’s Horticulture Sector in the Crop Insurance Scheme, but implementation has been pending. The majority of fruit growers in the region are marginal farmers, and they face significant financial challenges when their orchards are affected by natural disasters,” the Union said.
The Union has demanded several actions from the LG-led administration which includes dispatching a team of officers from SKUAST-K and the Department of Horticulture Development Kashmir to assess the hailstorm damage in orchards.
They have also demanded the implementation of the Crop Insurance Scheme well as the announcement of a comprehensive relief package for fruit tree damage caused by the hailstorm and declare it a natural calamity.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
