Climate Extremes Ravage Kashmir Orchards as Repeated Hailstorms Trigger Fresh Crisis for Growers | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s worsening climate instability is now unfolding in increasingly destructive and unpredictable ways, with repeated hailstorms across the Valley devastating orchards, vegetable fields and paddy saplings, pushing thousands of farming families into distress and once again exposing the absence of a reliable crop insurance mechanism.

Over the past several weeks, different parts of Kashmir have witnessed intense, localised hailstorms that growers say are becoming more frequent and more destructive with every passing season. From Kupwara in north Kashmir to Shopian and Kulgam in south Kashmir, orchards and standing crops have suffered extensive damage during crucial stages of the horticulture season.

Last week, a nearly half-an-hour-long hailstorm lashed several areas of Kupwara district, flattening vegetable fields, damaging paddy saplings and causing severe losses to apple orchards. Growers described the storm as one of the worst in recent years, saying entire belts were left battered within minutes.

In upper reaches of Shopian district, another hailstorm struck orchards spread across several villages, damaging more than two-thirds of the apple crop in some areas. On Thursday, fresh hailstorms again hit clusters of villages in Kulgam district and large parts of Keller area in Shopian, leaving orchards devastated at a time when fruit setting is underway.

Farmers and orchardists say hailstorms are no longer isolated weather events in Kashmir. “Earlier hailstorms would occur occasionally and remain confined to limited areas, but now almost every day some part of Kashmir is getting hit,” said an orchardist from Keller. “The frequency has increased dramatically in the last few years.”

The growing vulnerability has forced many orchard owners to invest in protective hail nets, once considered necessary only for high-density apple orchards. Increasingly, even traditional orchards are being covered with nets as growers struggle to shield their crops from erratic weather.

“In many villages, people are now putting hail nets over old orchards because nobody trusts the weather anymore,” said an apple horticulture grower from Shopian. “Without protection, a single storm can wipe out an entire season’s earnings.”

The repeated losses have once again revived demands for a comprehensive crop insurance mechanism in Jammu and Kashmir. Growers say they have been seeking effective crop insurance coverage for decades, but insurance companies remain reluctant because of the high risk associated with horticulture in the region.

The uncertainty has deepened anxieties among farming families who depend entirely on horticulture and agriculture for their livelihood. Apple cultivation alone supports lakhs of people directly and indirectly across Kashmir.

Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar recently said the government is working to finalise an arrangement with insurance agencies and sought around a month’s time to make progress on the issue. However, growers remain sceptical, citing repeated assurances over the years without any concrete outcome.

Amid mounting concerns over weather-induced losses, the Minister on Saturday visited hailstorm-affected areas of Rafiabad constituency in Baramulla district to assess the damage caused to crops and orchards.

During the tour, Dar inspected affected agricultural fields and orchards where standing crops and fruit-bearing plants suffered extensive damage due to recent hailstorms and inclement weather conditions. He interacted with farmers, orchardists and local residents, many of whom demanded immediate government intervention and compensation.

Expressing concern over the hardships faced by the farming community, the Minister assured affected families that all genuine cases of crop and orchard damage would be assessed and relief measures extended under government norms.

“The welfare of farmers remains the government’s top priority. Every possible support will be provided to mitigate the losses suffered by the affected growers,” Dar said during the visit.

He directed officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments to conduct comprehensive field surveys and submit detailed damage assessment reports to facilitate compensation and relief measures. He also stressed the need to intensify awareness regarding modern crop protection practices and ensure wider coverage of crop insurance schemes.

The Minister further acknowledged the increasing vulnerability of Kashmir’s agriculture sector to extreme weather events and called for strengthening crop protection infrastructure and disaster response systems to minimise future losses.

The impact of erratic weather is also being felt in Kashmir’s cherry-producing areas where harvesting is currently underway. Ganderbal district, one of the Valley’s largest cherry-producing regions, has witnessed damage to orchards during the crucial harvesting season because of rainfall and hailstorms.

According to official horticulture estimates for the 2024-25 season, Ganderbal produced nearly 9,094 metric tonnes of cherries from around 1,165 hectares of cultivated land. Thousands of families in areas such as Chunt Waliwar, Gulabpora, Lar, Gutlibagh, Wakura, Dab, Batwina, Kangan and Surfraw depend on cherry cultivation for income.

Growers said recent hailstorms damaged fruit quality and reduced production during the peak harvesting period.

“Cherry is the first fruit of the season and farmers depend heavily on it for income,” an orchard owner from Gutlibagh told reporters. “This year hailstorms damaged part of the crop, but we are still trying to ensure good-quality fruit reaches the markets.”

Another grower, said improved government support, cold storage facilities and transportation infrastructure could help growers recover better returns despite climate-related setbacks.

Political parties have also expressed concern over the mounting losses. Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference president and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, recently said severe hailstorms caused widespread destruction to agricultural and horticultural land in north Kashmir, particularly in Kupwara district, including Handwara and Lolab.

He said lakhs of people dependent on agriculture and horticulture were facing massive losses and warned that some of the damage could continue affecting growers in coming years. Lone also reported a weather-related fatality in Lolab valley and appealed for immediate relief and rehabilitation measures for affected families.

Experts believe the increasing frequency of hailstorms, erratic rainfall and sudden weather events is becoming one of the clearest manifestations of climate change in Kashmir, directly threatening the Valley’s fragile horticulture economy which forms the backbone of rural livelihoods.

For thousands of growers across Kashmir, however, the immediate concern remains survival through another uncertain season as changing weather patterns continue to turn orchards into zones of recurring risk.