Shopian orchardists threaten hunger strike over inaction on mysterious fruit fall, drying up of orchards

Affected growers say they have lost their livelihoods; question delay in probe, seek FIR details, laboratory reports

Jahangeer Ganaie

Shopian, Jul 24: Orchardists on Friday alleged that authorities have failed to explain the reason behind large-scale fruit drop and drying up of apple orchards in parts of South Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Addressing a news conference here, the affected orchardists warned of an indefinite hunger strike if their demands are not addressed within the next three days.

The growers, mainly from Sugoo, Handhama and adjoining villages, said they have suffered massive financial losses after the sudden fruit fall and drying up of orchards allegedly following the application of suspected pesticides or fungicides. They alleged that despite repeated representations, the government has failed to complete the investigation or make its findings public.

They questioned the status of the investigation and sought transparency from the authorities. “If the government claims that an FIR has been registered in this matter, then where is that FIR? What investigation has been carried out so far? We have been waiting for weeks but nobody has informed us about the progress of the case,” one of the growers said.

The farmers also demanded that the authorities make public the laboratory reports of the pesticide samples collected during the investigation.

“Where are the reports of the samples taken from the suspected pesticides? If the laboratory analysis has found nothing wrong with the pesticides, then what is the reason behind this unprecedented fruit drop and the drying up of our orchards? If the government cannot explain what happened, then who will answer our questions?” another orchardist said.

The growers said apple cultivation is their only source of livelihood and the losses have pushed many families into severe financial distress.

“We have invested lakhs of rupees in orchard management throughout the season. Today, our crop has been destroyed and our orchards have suffered extensive damage. We have lost everything on which our families depended, but instead of providing justice, the authorities have taken our grievances for granted,” they said.

The affected farmers warned that if the government and the concerned departments fail to respond positively within the next three days, they will launch an indefinite hunger strike from Monday evening.

“We are giving the administration one final opportunity. If no concrete action is taken and no answers are provided, we will begin a hunger strike from Monday evening. We have exhausted every democratic means available to us,” they said.

The orchardists also demanded immediate disclosure of the investigation findings, compensation for the affected growers if negligence or defective agrochemicals are found responsible, and accountability of those responsible for the losses.

The controversy dates back to June this year when orchardists from Sugoo, Handhama and nearby areas reported an unusual and significant fruit drop shortly after spraying fungicides and other plant protection chemicals in their orchards.

Following complaints, officials from the Horticulture Department inspected the affected orchards, documented spray schedules and visited the pesticide dealer concerned. The department had subsequently suspended the sale of the suspected product across the district as a precautionary measure and informed growers that pesticide samples had been collected by the district enforcement wing for laboratory analysis—(KNO)