Kullu district is the main plum grower in Himachal. Bloom in plum is expected in March but it was coming in February in the entire district. According to scientists with horticulture departments, rises in temperature were the main cause. As the temperature is still stable due to frequent rain and snowfall on the hills, the bloom is still to come in the next two weeks in most of the orchards in Kullu.
"We are sure to get a bumper crop this year," said a plum grower, Amit Bhardwaj. He added, "Premature flowering has destroyed crops in the last few years. Scientists say global warming is the main cause. Earlier, people used to send plums to Delhi and other states but the production has decreased now, because of which it is sold only in local fruit markets."
source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
