A fresh spell of hailstorm and strong winds that struck several parts of Kashmir today caused damage to fruit-bearing trees, worsening losses for orchardists already reeling under repeated weather-related disasters over the past two months and triggering renewed demands for government intervention.
Several areas across South, Central and North Kashmir witnessed hailstorm and gusty winds on Tuesday evening, with fruit growers reporting damage to orchards at a time when fruit crops remain highly vulnerable.
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union said repeated spells of hailstorm and stormy winds have shattered hopes for this season’s harvest, pushed fruit growers into mounting debt and created panic among lakhs of families dependent on the horticulture sector for survival.
According to the union, the latest weather disruption on June 2 comes close on the heels of a devastating hailstorm and stormy winds that lashed villages of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district and parts of Shopian and Kulgam on May 30, causing large-scale damage to orchards. Similar destruction was also reported from parts of north Kashmir, district Budgam and Lolab in Kupwara district.
The union said weather conditions in recent weeks have frequently turned hostile after 5 pm, bringing hailstorms, dusty winds and severe gusts that have repeatedly damaged orchards across the Valley.
It said horticulture belts of Rafiabad, including Watergam, Lassar, Dangiwacha, Dandoosa, Hadipora and adjoining villages, suffered heavy losses in earlier storms. Similar damage was witnessed in horticulture zones of Sopore, Bandipora and parts of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
In Baramulla district, orchard areas including Sangrama, Wagura, Kreeri, Pattan, Kandi and Tangmarg also witnessed widespread destruction after severe hailstorms accompanied by stormy and dusty winds damaged fruit-bearing trees.
Chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union and President of the New Kashmir Fruit Association, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, said repeated weather disasters have left fruit growers financially vulnerable while no comprehensive safety mechanism exists to protect orchardists against recurring losses.
He said the union has repeatedly demanded a comprehensive compensation package, implementation of a Crop Insurance Scheme and reintroduction of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), but no substantial relief measures have been announced so far.
“Horticulture has become a risky occupation in the absence of a Crop Insurance Scheme and Market Intervention Scheme. Repeated hailstorms and stormy winds are causing devastation in orchards and fruit growers are sinking into debt,” Basheer said.
Calling horticulture one of Jammu and Kashmir’s most important economic sectors, Basheer said it contributes nearly eight per cent to the Union Territory’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and supports around 7.5 lakh families besides generating employment opportunities for youth.
The union urged the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister to declare repeated hailstorm-related destruction a “national disaster,” announce a comprehensive compensation package for orchard losses suffered during April and May 2026, implement crop insurance, restore the MIS, provide hail safety nets free of cost and exempt KCC loans availed by poor fruit growers.
The growers warned that continued weather losses without institutional support could severely impact Kashmir’s fragile rural economy, heavily dependent on horticulture.
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