Kashmir fruit growers concerned as dry spell and heatwave threaten horticulture

SRINAGAR — The ongoing dry spell and heatwave in Kashmir have left fruit growers deeply concerned, who fear severe impacts on the region’s horticulture sector. The sector, which is a vital source of income for many in Kashmir, is experiencing stress due to the lack of rainfall and high temperatures.

Speaking to the news agency KNO, growers expressed their worries about the prolonged dry weather’s effects.

Mohammad Shaban Dar, an orchardist from Shopian, said the intense sunlight with the absence of rain over the past two months is adversely affecting fruit trees and their produce. He said that the lack of moisture is causing heavy fruit fall and affecting the quality and shine of the fruit. “This hampers its competitiveness in the market against apples from other countries,” he said.

Javid Ahmad, a horticulture expert, explained that the high temperatures and lack of rainfall are stressing the fruit trees, especially apple orchards, which are crucial to the local economy. “This could lead to smaller fruit sizes, sunburnt produce and an overall reduction in yield,” Ahmad said, adding that the lack of soil moisture could lower the quality of the fruit, which could lead to a decline in market prices and profitability for growers.

Experts are also concerned about the long-term health of the orchards if the current weather conditions continue, as most of the orchards in the region are rain-fed and lack proper irrigation facilities.

Bashir Ahmad Basheer, chairman of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, said the prolonged dry spell is likely to impact the horticulture sector negatively. “This will lead to losses due to reduced fruit quality,” he said.

Director Horticulture Kashmir, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat said that around 60 percent of orchards in Kashmir are rain-fed, and the ongoing dry conditions could result in undersized fruit, heavy fruit fall and a decline in quality.

“Such conditions not only affect the current season’s yield but can also reduce the fruit-bearing capacity of trees in future seasons, which damages the apple trees that growers work hard to maintain,” he said.

The horticulture sector is a significant contributor to the State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP) of Jammu and Kashmir, with a share of about 9.5 percent. It also generates approximately 8.50 crore man-days of employment annually.

The average apple production in Kashmir ranges from 20 to 25 lakh metric tonnes per year, with half of Kashmir’s population directly or indirectly dependent on the apple industry, according to the 2017 economic survey in J&K.