A hailstorm lasting up to 15 minutes moved through orchards in the upper belt of the Bandipora division in north Kashmir on Monday evening, damaging leaves and flower blooms and causing up to 25 per cent losses, according to officials.
Erratic weather intensified with rainfall across parts of the district, followed by hail in Arin and Bankoot blocks around 6 p.m. The hail affected fruit crops during the "full bloom" and "pink bud" stages. An assessment by the Horticulture Development Officer showed that damage levels varied depending on hail duration and crop stage.
A total of 11 villages and Panchayats were affected. In the Arin block, villages including Shamthan Dardhpora, Nagwani-Barladi, Sumlar-A, and Sumlar-B recorded 20 to 25 per cent damage after 7 to 15 minutes of hail at the full bloom stage. Dardhpora saw 5 to 10 per cent damage after a 2 to 5-minute storm, while Chontimulla recorded 5 to 8 per cent damage at the pink bud stage following 3 to 5 minutes of hail. Panchayats Arin-A, Arin-B, and Balhama recorded 3 to 4 per cent damage after short hail events lasting up to one minute.
In the Bonakoot block, orchards in Bonakoot-A and Bonakoot-C recorded 15 to 20 per cent damage after 5 to 8 minutes of hail during the full bloom stage. The Sumbal division was not affected.
A field official said assessment remains limited at this stage. "At this time of the season, although this is the overall damage, orchards are in full bloom, which makes it impossible to do an accurate assessment," the official said. "At the fruiting stage, we can assess damage on the basis of percentage in relation to the total number of fruits hit, fallen, or safe."
Most damage has been recorded on leaves. Farmers have requested support, but losses remain below the 35 per cent threshold required under State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Force guidelines. Compensation would apply at 300 to 400 rupees (US$3.6 to US$4.8) per kanal if exceeded. Officials indicated current losses "don't seem to cross the 35 per cent mark."
Chief Horticulture Officer Pawan Kumar noted that blossom drop is part of the crop cycle. "Naturally, only 2 to 5 per cent of flowers are pollinated and set fruit, while the rest fall off anyway," the official said. "If every flower set fruit, the trees would collapse. At this stage, the damage is not substantial."
The horticulture department issued treatment advice, including fungicide applications for apple, pear, and stone fruit, alongside removal of fallen leaves and ensuring drainage to limit disease development.
Source: Greater Kashmir
