Kashmir’s fruit-growing community has issued an appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking immediate compensation, implementation of a comprehensive crop insurance scheme and revival of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) after successive hailstorms caused massive destruction to orchards across north and south Kashmir.
In a detailed representation submitted to the Chief Minister, the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union said repeated hailstorms accompanied by strong winds during April and May this year have devastated apple orchards in several districts, pushing thousands of orchardists into financial distress and uncertainty.
The memorandum, signed by Union Chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer, stated that a massive hailstorm on May 12 wreaked havoc across Baramulla district, particularly in Sangrama, Wagoora, Kreeri, Pattan, Shouze, Mamoosa, Choker, Yall, Nehalpora, Kandi, Shaikhpora, Choondosa, Pachhaar, Tangmarg, Khairpora, the Kandi belt and parts of Rafiabad.
The union said another destructive hailstorm on April 18 had severely damaged orchards in Shopian and adjoining areas of Kulgam, including Kanipora Dal, Kanjiullar and Ramnagri.
Basheer said the affected regions are known for producing some of Kashmir’s finest apple varieties and the repeated weather shocks have shattered growers’ hopes of a productive season.
“Fruit growers of the Valley were expecting a promising harvest this year, but the sudden hailstorms during April and May destroyed months of hard work and investment,” Basheer said.
He said eyewitnesses described “heartbreaking scenes” after the storms, with orchardists seen weeping while inspecting shattered fruit-bearing trees and flattened fields.
“It is the second time since April this year that hailstorms have severely lashed apple-rich villages. Repeated weather shocks are continuously threatening the orchards and livelihoods of Valley-based fruit growers,” Basheer said.
The growers’ body said the horticulture sector remains the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, sustaining lakhs of families directly and indirectly while also generating employment opportunities for unemployed youth.
Despite repeated promises by the government and announcements made in the Assembly regarding implementation of a crop insurance scheme for horticulture during 2025-26, the sector continues to remain outside any formal insurance safety net, the union said.
“Lakhs of fruit growers remain exposed to weather disasters without any institutional protection. Around 90 per cent of orchard owners in the Valley are marginal growers whose entire household expenses and livelihood depend solely on income generated from orchards,” Basheer said.
The union also strongly pitched for revival of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for fallen and low-grade apples, commonly known as “Giran” and C-grade fruit, saying the scheme had earlier provided critical support to growers during distress years but was later discontinued.
“Market Intervention Scheme for fallen fruit and C-grade apples was previously in force and must be reintroduced for the welfare of fruit growers,” Basheer said.
Seeking immediate government intervention, the growers urged the Chief Minister to announce a comprehensive compensation package for orchardists affected by the hailstorms and ensure the early rollout of a crop insurance mechanism for the horticulture sector.
The appeal comes amid growing concerns over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in Kashmir, which growers say are threatening the long-term sustainability of the Valley’s apple industry — a sector considered the economic lifeline of rural Kashmir.
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