SRINAGAR – About 40 percent of the apple produce that was yet to be harvested in Shopian in South Kashmir got damaged due to the untimely rain and snowfall, it was reported on Saturday.
The orchardists were waiting for apples to pick up the perfect colour in a week, but in the meantime the weather advisory proved to be disastrous for them.
“About 40 percent of delicious apple quality fruit are still hanging on the trees which were supposed to be harvested in about a week’s time,” Niyaz Ahmad, a resident of Shopian, told UNI on phone.
He said the fruit “Delicious Apple” was supposed to be exported to other parts of the country during the festive season of Diwali. A box of the famous Kashmir Delicious Apple is being sold for Rs 1300 to Rs 1400 in other parts of the country, Ahmad said.
He said due to the ongoing incessant rains and snow in parts of the Kashmir valley, orchards in several villages in south Kashmir Shopian suffered extensive damage including Herpora, Sedow, Chak Sedow. Most of the places, the twigs and branches of trees have also broken due to heavy snow.
Meanwhile Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan has directed Director General Horticulture to personally supervise the assessment process vis-à-vis loss to orchards and fruit in South Kashmir.
Expressing serious concern over the losses caused to orchardists by untimely snowfall in the Kashmir valley, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami demanded immediate compensation to the affected growers.
A large number of fruit bearing trees are reported to have suffered damages due to unseasonal snowfall, witnessed in several parts of Kashmir valley. “The government must depute expert teams to assess the losses especially in South Kashmir which has been the worst hit,” the CPI (M) leader demanded.
He said the CPI (M) has since long been demanding for the implementation of crop insurance schemes in the region to benefit the orchardists and peasants’ in the event of natural calamities.
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