Kashmir apple farming under strain as erratic weather drives up crop risk

On June 18, over half a dozen apple-producing villages in the upper belt of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district were lashed by a hailstorm. A day earlier, an intense spell had swept across several villages in neighbouring Shopian district, known for producing the region’s premium apples.

It was the third time in the month that hailstorms hit apple orchards in south Kashmir, spelling fresh trouble for growers already struggling with erratic weather patterns.

“The marble-sized hailstones caused bruises on the apple surface,” said Rayees Ahmad, an apple cultivator from Keegam in Shopian. He said that within minutes, all his hopes for a good harvest were shattered.

This was for the first time Ahmad had witnessed such a terrible hailstorm, which lasted for at least 20 minutes in his area. 

Officials at the India Meteorological Department in Srinagar said the region recorded around six to seven spells of hailstorm in the past month. “Hailstorm events were reported from across the Valley,” officials said.

Izhan Javed, an apple and cherry grower and CEO of Fruit Master Agro Fresh Pvt. Ltd, said the impact of climate change was becoming increasingly visible in horticulture.

“This season, we have witnessed six to eight hailstorm episodes, which is unprecedented,” he said.

Mohammad Anees, Assistant Professor at the University of Kashmir, also acknowledged the rising frequency of extreme weather events in Jammu and Kashmir. “Unusual weather patterns driven by climate change continue to damage standing crops,” he said.

The recurring hail events have battered apple farms across the Valley, causing significant damage to fruit crops. “The exact extent of damage is not known, but the impact of recurring hailstorms is rather high,” said Javed, estimating the impact at 70 to 80 percent.

In the absence of a crop insurance scheme, farmers are increasingly looking at high-density orchards as a possible adaptation strategy to climate stress.

According to growers, such orchards can be protected using anti-hail nets. “However, in the case of traditional orchards, where trees are extremely large, such nets may not be helpful,” said a group of farmers.

They said government support in the form of subsidies on protective infrastructure, including anti-hail nets, is crucial to safeguard horticulture against growing climate risks.