Cherry farmers in Kashmir have suffered heavy losses due to above-normal rainfall and hail storms in May and June this year. Some of the cherry orchard owners claim that they have lost over 50 per cent of their harvest due to weather troubles.
"The crop has suffered damage due to heavy rains and hailstorms. I managed to retrieve only 30 per cent of my total cherry production that I was expecting," said a grower from south Kashmir's Shopian district. He said while the government officials may label it a 'bumper cherry season' 50 per cent of the entire production of farmers like him has been damaged this year.
Kashmir Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association president Bashir Ahmed Bashir said they were hoping for good produce this year. "But the bad weather caused scab (a common fungal disease that blotches fruits like apples and pears). Cherry production was affected by 75 per cent.”
However, Mohammad Amin Bhat, from the Directorate of Horticulture, Kashmir said that the rainfall and lower temperature would not impact the overall fruit production but would certainly affect the quality.
Source: deccanherald.com