Severe hailstorm hits north Kashmir, causing massive crop damage
Image credit: Sheikh Junaid
A severe hailstorm lashed parts of north Kashmir on April 25, 2022, causing heavy damage to fruit orchards, standing crops, vegetables and paddy saplings. This is the second damaging hailstorm to hit the region this month.
According to officials of the Horticulture Department, the hailstorm largely affected the areas like Pattan, Tangmarg, Kulgam, Baramulla and Mawer, Handwara damaging orchards and standing crops.1
“As per initial data, the loss caused in orchards ranges from 5% to 30%. So far, we have data from 14 villages that were affected due to the hailstorm,” Director General of Horticulture Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, said.2
While apple varieties are in their early stages of formation, the cherry, apricot, peach, pear and other early varieties have started maturing, thus causing more damage to the fruit crop.
Heavy rains and hailstorms on April 14 left apple orchards damaged in north Kashmir’s Pattan and Tangmarg areas.
Due to that hailstorm, orchards in Sherpora, Mamoosa, Kanloo, Babagund, Sari, Nehalpora, Lalpora Kunzer, Lalpora Tangmarg, Dobiwan and Pinjoora suffered damages. The damage was about 20- 25% in these areas, as per official data.
Orchardists in some of the worst-hit areas believe that their almond, cherry, and apple crops have suffered irreparable damage due to these cyclic hailstorms.
References:
1 Massive hailstorm destroys crops, causes havoc in parts of Kashmir – Rising Kashmir – April 26, 2022
2 Hailstorm in north Kashmir damages fruit orchards – The Hindustan Times – April 27, 2022
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