Clamour rises for crop insurance scheme

maan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 17

A massive hailstorm has wreaked havoc in orchards of Kashmir, which annually produce nearly 20 lakh metric tonne of fresh fruits and 22 lakh metric tonne of dry fruits, as the clamour for the implementation of crop insurance schemes grow.

Apple and other crops have been badly hit in various villages of Baramulla, Sopore, Wagoora, Rafiabad and Zaingeer tehsils of north Kashmir while the damage in south Kashmir’s Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama was severe.

Locals said the damage to crops was severe as apple buds and blossom were hit by the hailstorm.

“It seems nature has different plans for Kashmir fruit growers as the weather is really bad this year,” said Rashid Mushtaq, an orchardist of Manigam village of Wagoora tehsil.

Affected farmers and apple growers have demanded compensation and requested Governor Satya Pal Malik for a quick assessment of the crop damage. “We are yet to come out from the losses of last year. We hope the government will take some steps,” Mushtaq said.

J&K Kisan Tehreek general secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik said the government had failed to implement the crop insurance scheme, which could have helped the affected farmers to cover the losses.

“The farmers and orchardists will get relief if the scheme is implemented as it will also save the fruit growers and farmers in the event of losses suffered due to natural calamities,” Malik said.

Kashmir produces nearly 19 lakh metric tonne of apple every year from 14,6016 hectares of land. Nearly 95 per cent of it is sent to different parts of India and some varieties are exported to Bangladesh.