SHIMLA: A series of hailstone and wind storms and rains have ruined the apple crop, spelling disaster for the farmers in Himachal Pradesh for the last more than two weeks. The losses range from 20 per cent to 50 percent in the most of the apple belt of the state, revealed the farmers.
The hails storms have almost the pruned the leaves leaving orchards in rack and ruins without leaves mainly where anti-hail nets are not installed or trees are of bigger size that don't get the full coverage of the nets.
As it is not enough the next two days would lay the proverbial last nail in the coffin of the Rs 5000 Crore apple industry as the Weather department has predicted spells of heavy rains and hail storms in the state on May 2 and May 3.
The Sukhu government, which rode to power on the strength of farmers’ stir against the previous BJP Government in the apple belt of Shimla, Kullu and Kinnaur, has yet to take stock of losses inflicted on the apple industry by the devastating spells of hail storms and rains.
The hail storms and rains have battered apple and other fruit crops in Jubbal-Kotkhai, Rohru, Chopal, Theog and Rampur, Karsog, Seraj, Kullu, Dalash, Anni and Manali, Naggar.
It is even difficult for farmers to raise the cost of inputs spent on the apple orchards as the fruit set is very less.
The hail storms and rains smashed the orchards at a crucial time when the orchards were in full bloom in the apple belt.
The temperatures nosedived and pollens were destroyed by the rains and hail storms.
Even as the apple farmers have installed anti-hail nets and there are anti-hail guns to keep the hail stones at bay, but the cold weather has hit the bloom badly.
The crop insurance companies are there to make good money as coverage remains paltry.
The farmers donot opt for the Fasal Bima Yojna as they have to pay more as premium while compensation is very small in comparison to loss to the crop.
The pollination did not take place in many orchards as the honeybee activities were halted.
The honey bees, the main pollinators for the apple crop, either perished in cold or they stayed indoors to save their existence, informed the farmers.
The hail storms and rains have mauled apple bloom in Deot, Pabas, Maroag, Chopal, Khagna in Chopal, many panchayats in Narkanda and Theog and Mahasu in Kotkhai areas.
The orchards were in full bloom when the devastating spells of rains and hailstone smashed the orchards and ruined the crop, said Rajeev Bragta, apple orchardist from Maroag, the major apple belt in Chopal.
President of the Progressive Growers Association Lokinder Bisht said the crop this year and most part of the apple belt is on a lower side due to the bad weather prevailing in the apple belt.
He said that spells of rain and hailstorm in many parts of the now region have adversely impacted the fruit set thereby ruining the chance for a good apple crop this year.
Former vice-chancellor of Dr YS Parmar university of horticulture and forestry, Dr Vijay Thakur said the bad weather has badly hit the apple crop this time.
“Hail storms and rain have resulted in drastic drop in temperature that in turn has ruined the bloom and the fruit set”, he said.
“The bee -activity in the orchards came to standstill due to cold and rains. The pollution could not take place in in many areas”, he observed.
HDOs of the horticulture department have yet to step out in the orchards to assess the loss that is excess of over 50 per cent.
