Hailstorm damages fruit, vegetable crop in Kulgam villages

KULGAM — Hailstorm wreaked havoc to orchards in several villages of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials and locals said on Friday.

Locals said that on Friday afternoon, windstorm and hailstorm with rains damaged fruit and vegetable crop in different villages of Kulgam including Churat, Pahloo, Sopat, Devsar besides many others villages.

The assessment of the total damage was not known immediately, however, locals said that orchards suffered heavy damage.

“This year, we expected a good crop, but the hail and windstorms have not only dashed our hopes, but also left the orchardists in desperation,” said a local farmer.

The locals have demanded adequate compensation from the government and district authorities for their losses.

Meanwhile, Chief Horticulture Officer Kulgam, Mohammad Iqbal said that there is no need to worry. “We have already setup control room number (6005955575) for farmers. They can call and get advice from the Agricultural University on what kind of Sprays they need to get good quality of fruit and vegetables,” he said.