Express News Service
SRINAGAR: After the bumper crop last year, the apple production in Kashmir has been hit by unstable weather conditions and scab disease this year and growers are saying the decline is over 40 per cent.An apple grower Zahoor Ahmed from Sopore in north Kashmir said the unstable weather conditions in the Valley this year has impacted the apple production.
He said the fluctuation in weather conditions at various stages of development of apple crop led to both decline in quantity and quality of apple crop. Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union president Bashir Ahmed Basheer said the weather in the Valley this year remained unstable. “From flowering to fruit development, the weather was unstable. From February to March, there was dry weather. Then there were rains and afterwards there was a long dry spell,” he said.
He said heavy hailstorms on many occasions in Valley especially in north Kashmir this year damaged the apple orchards. “Due to the unstable weather and hailstorm, there has been over 40 per cent decline in apple production in Kashmir this year,” he said. Bashir said the quality of apples has also been hit and there is more percentage of C-grade apples this year in north Kashmir as compared to previous years.
Kashmir on an average produces 20 lakh metric tonnes of apple every year but last year due to the bumper production, the apple production had touched 22 lakh metric tonnes. Kashmir produces 75 per cent of apples in the country. According to Bashir, the marginal growers will be badly hit by the drop in apple production.
“The government should introduce MIS in J&K to safeguard the crop of apple growers. It should be introduced for C-grade apples as we get good prices for A and B grade,” he said. A prominent apple grower and president of Fruit Mandi Shopian, Mohammad Ashraf said the incessant rainfall in August after continuous dry spell led to spread of scab, thus affecting the apple crop in Shopian and other parts of south Kashmir.
He said due to scab in apple crop, south Kashmir has more B-grade apples this year. Ashraf said as against 22 lakh metric tonnes of apple production last year, this year the production will be between 15-18 tonnes. Thousands of families are directly or indirectly associated with the apple industry in the Valley. An official of the Horticulture department said they were expecting a produce of 24 lakh metric tonnes of apple this year. However, due to the unfavourable weather, there has been a drop in apple production by 10 per cent.
“Besides, the quality of the apple has also been hit. Now there is more percentage of B-grade apples and less A-grade apples,” he said. Bashir urged the Lt Governor administration to introduce crop insurance in J&K so that growers can be compensated in cases of losses. Follow channel on WhatsApp
SRINAGAR: After the bumper crop last year, the apple production in Kashmir has been hit by unstable weather conditions and scab disease this year and growers are saying the decline is over 40 per cent.
An apple grower Zahoor Ahmed from Sopore in north Kashmir said the unstable weather conditions in the Valley this year has impacted the apple production.
He said the fluctuation in weather conditions at various stages of development of apple crop led to both decline in quantity and quality of apple crop. Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union president Bashir Ahmed Basheer said the weather in the Valley this year remained unstable. “From flowering to fruit development, the weather was unstable. From February to March, there was dry weather. Then there were rains and afterwards there was a long dry spell,” he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
He said heavy hailstorms on many occasions in Valley especially in north Kashmir this year damaged the apple orchards. “Due to the unstable weather and hailstorm, there has been over 40 per cent decline in apple production in Kashmir this year,” he said. Bashir said the quality of apples has also been hit and there is more percentage of C-grade apples this year in north Kashmir as compared to previous years.
Kashmir on an average produces 20 lakh metric tonnes of apple every year but last year due to the bumper production, the apple production had touched 22 lakh metric tonnes. Kashmir produces 75 per cent of apples in the country. According to Bashir, the marginal growers will be badly hit by the drop in apple production.
“The government should introduce MIS in J&K to safeguard the crop of apple growers. It should be introduced for C-grade apples as we get good prices for A and B grade,” he said. A prominent apple grower and president of Fruit Mandi Shopian, Mohammad Ashraf said the incessant rainfall in August after continuous dry spell led to spread of scab, thus affecting the apple crop in Shopian and other parts of south Kashmir.
He said due to scab in apple crop, south Kashmir has more B-grade apples this year. Ashraf said as against 22 lakh metric tonnes of apple production last year, this year the production will be between 15-18 tonnes. Thousands of families are directly or indirectly associated with the apple industry in the Valley. An official of the Horticulture department said they were expecting a produce of 24 lakh metric tonnes of apple this year. However, due to the unfavourable weather, there has been a drop in apple production by 10 per cent.
“Besides, the quality of the apple has also been hit. Now there is more percentage of B-grade apples and less A-grade apples,” he said. Bashir urged the Lt Governor administration to introduce crop insurance in J&K so that growers can be compensated in cases of losses. Follow channel on WhatsApp
