SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Monday expressed concern over the heavy losses incurred by farmers, and orchardists in the Shopian, and Kulgam areas of South Kashmir following a heavy hailstorm.
In a joint statement issued to the press, Senior leader Sakina Itoo, MP Hasnain Masoodi, JKNC Agriculture Committee Chairman Javed Dar said the intense hailstorm damaged hundreds of orchards in Kulgam and Shopian belt just when the harvest was about to commence.
“Our fruit growers have been facing increasingly challenging times in recent years, with continuous lockdowns and natural disasters taking a toll on their livelihoods. Once again, nature’s destructive forces have severely damaged the nearly ripe produce. For many, this year’s harvest is a pivotal moment in their lives, as they have invested all their savings in their orchards,” they said.
They called upon the LG administration to provide adequate compensation to the affected fruit growers to help them recover their losses. Furthermore, they urged the administration to immediately implement the Crop Insurance Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, which would also cover apple trees and requested a special exemption for small-scale farmers whose harvest typically doesn’t exceed 100 apple crates.
