SRINAGAR: A fierce hailstorm accompanied by intense lightning, thunderstorm, and stormy winds swept through large parts of the Kashmir Valley on the evening of April 18, leaving behind a trail of destruction across the region’s fruit orchards. The sudden climatic event has caused massive losses to the Valley’s fruit industry, which remains one of the most crucial pillars of the local economy.
Orchardists from districts including Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Baramulla, Bandipora, Budgam, Ganderbal and others reported extensive damage to blooming fruit trees. The hailstorm blanketed orchards in a thick white layer, shattering the flowering fruit and even injuring trees, which could have long-term consequences on production.
According to growers, the timing of the storm was particularly cruel. With orchards just beginning to bloom, hopes of a good season were high. However, the storm has dashed those hopes and left many growers staring at a season of loss. Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, said the damage is irreparable and will severely impact the livelihoods of thousands of families connected to horticulture. He described the natural disaster as a cruel reminder of the growers’ vulnerability in the absence of a crop insurance safety net.
The Fruit Growers Union, which has for years been demanding the implementation of a crop insurance scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, said the continued inaction on this front has exposed orchardists to unbearable financial stress. Despite repeated government announcements over the years, no concrete policy has materialised to shield the Valley’s horticulture sector from climatic shocks.
Bashir Ahmad Basheer, who also heads the New Kashmir Fruit Association, said that ninety per cent of the Valley’s fruit growers are marginal farmers whose entire household expenses depend on the income from their orchards. Without insurance or compensation mechanisms in place, these families are left to bear the full brunt of nature’s fury.
He urged the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, to take immediate note of the disaster and respond with meaningful intervention. The Fruit Growers Union has appealed to the administration to ensure the prompt implementation of a crop insurance scheme for horticulture in the Union Territory. It has also requested that teams from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K), the Horticulture Department, and the Horticulture Planning and Marketing Department be directed to assess the damage caused by the storm. Furthermore, the Union has sought a reasonable and timely compensation package for affected orchardists to help them recover from the devastating blow.
As the Valley’s fruit growers begin to count their losses, the storm has once again underlined the urgent need for institutional support. For Kashmir’s horticulture community, the road to recovery remains uncertain unless the government steps in with both immediate relief and long-term safeguards.
