Repeated appeals have fallen on deaf ears: Kashmir fruit growers’ association demand urgent implementation of crop insurance

Srinagar: Yet another powerful hailstorm that swept through multiple areas of Kashmir, including parts of Shopian, Kulgam, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Handwara, Rafiabad, and Baramulla, has caused massive destruction to apple orchards, leaving fruit growers reeling under severe losses. The calamity, which struck Imam Sahib belt in Shopian on Monday afternoon around 2:30 PM, lasted for about 20 minutes, damaging vast stretches of fruit-bearing trees in villages like Nagbal, Handew, Wadipora, Alshipora, and Dasu.

According to local orchardists, the storm was accompanied by gusty winds, heavy rain, and hail, which battered the unharvested apple crop—crucial to the economic lifeline of thousands of families. The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union described the impact as “irreparable,” warning that the horticulture industry, one of the mainstays of Kashmir’s economy, is at serious risk if immediate measures are not taken.

Despite repeated appeals over the years, fruit growers lament the continued absence of a “Crop Insurance Scheme” for Kashmir’s horticulture sector. “This disaster has not only dashed the hopes of this season’s harvest but also pushed marginal growers to the brink,” said Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union and President of The New Kashmir Fruit Association.

“In Kashmir, nearly 90% of growers are marginal farmers, and their entire livelihood depends on orchard income. Natural disasters like this hailstorm leave them with nothing to fall back on,” Basheer stated. He appealed to the Lt. Governor of J&K and the Government of India to urgently address the following:

1. Implementation of a Crop Insurance Scheme for the horticulture sector to cushion growers from natural calamities.

2. Provision of protective nets for orchardists at maximum subsidized rates, along with adequate storage and availability.

3. Immediate field assessment by officers of SKUAST, the Horticulture Department, and Horticulture Planning & Marketing Department to evaluate crop damage.

4. Announcement of a comprehensive relief package for the affected orchard owners.

The Union emphasized that without crop insurance and adequate disaster relief, the fruit industry in Kashmir faces long-term setbacks, potentially threatening thousands of livelihoods.