Shopian, May 30: An intense hailstorm battered more than a dozen apple-producing villages in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday evening, damaging orchards across large areas and triggering fresh anxiety among growers already grappling with repeated weather-related losses this season.
The hailstorm swept through over 15 villages in both the plains and upper reaches of the district, including Ganowpora, Kanipora, Sindoo Shirmal, Keegam, Zawoora, Pinjora, Largam, Meemander, Gagren, Ramnagri, Amshipora and parts of Shopian town, causing damage to apple orchards at a critical stage of fruit development.
Farmers said the storm lasted between seven and ten minutes, pelting orchards with hailstones that damaged fruit and foliage, raising fears of reduced yields and financial losses.
Mohammad Ashraf Wani, president of the Fruit Mandi Shopian, said the upper reaches appeared to have borne the brunt of the storm, though the scale of destruction was still being assessed.
“The hailstorm was more intense in the upper areas. The actual extent of losses, however, can only be determined after a detailed assessment,” Wani said.
The latest weather event marks the fifth hailstorm to hit Shopian this season, compounding concerns among apple growers who say repeated spells of extreme weather are threatening orchard productivity and livelihoods.
Zahid Ahmad, an orchardist from Shopian, said the storm had inflicted substantial damage on his orchard.
“The pea-sized hailstones caused nearly 30 to 40 percent damage to my orchard. Both the fruit and leaves have been affected,” he said.
Several growers estimated losses exceeding 40 percent and urged authorities to immediately conduct a field assessment and extend compensation to affected farmers.
The repeated crop damage has also revived calls for a comprehensive insurance mechanism for Kashmir’s horticulture sector, with growers arguing that farmers remain exposed to recurring climate-related shocks such as hailstorms, unseasonal rainfall and windstorms without adequate financial safeguards.
“We face losses almost every year due to extreme weather, but there is little support when crops are damaged,” said Abdul Rasheed, an orchardist from Shopian.
“A practical crop insurance scheme is essential to safeguard growers and sustain the horticulture sector,” he added.
The latest hailstorm has heightened concerns at a crucial stage of the apple season, with growers warning that further adverse weather could affect fruit quality, reduce output and impact market returns.
Shopian, one of Kashmir’s leading apple-producing districts, forms a vital pillar of the Valley’s horticulture economy and supports thousands of farming households dependent on apple cultivation for their livelihood.
