The hardship deepened in September when incessant rains and floods damaged both apple and paddy crops across south Kashmir.
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ANI
In several villages across the plains of south Kashmir, apple growers are enduring one of their worst seasons in years and with no crop insurance in place, the losses are theirs alone to bear. A fierce hailstorm in June left little to harvest, bruising nearly every developing fruit and shattering hopes of a profitable season.
For half an hour, chickpea-sized hailstones battered orchards in the apple-rich villages of Handew, Drawani, Wadipora, Darshalin, and Dachoo — areas known for producing some of the finest apples in Shopian district.
“The hailstorm caused near-total damage to the crop,” said Riyaz Ahmad, an orchardist, pointing to a mound of scarred apples. “There was hardly anything worth packing this year.”
The Vallley’s economy depends heavily on apples and other fruits , with more than 70 per cent of households relying on the industry. The losses have left many families struggling with debt and uncertainty as they head into another season. Official data show that outstanding agricultural loans in Jammu and Kashmir have crossed ₹11,700 crore, while active Kisan Credit Card accounts now exceed 11.13 lakh.
The hardship deepened in September when incessant rains and floods damaged both apple and paddy crops across south Kashmir.
The government told the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday that fruit crops on 1,435.6 hectares across the region were damaged by recent floods and hailstorms. Floods affected 846.2 hectares in three south Kashmir districts, while hailstorms in Shopian wiped out another 589.4 hectares.
Crop insurance still elusive
Farmers say government compensation, when offered, barely covers a fraction of their losses. “We have no insurance, no safety net,” said Ahmad. “One storm can wipe out an entire year’s livelihood.”
Some growers said they received only ₹2,000 in the name of compensation.
The Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), a weather-index-based programme introduced along with the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in 2016, has yet to take off in the Valley. Despite several tenders and deadline extensions, no insurance company has come forward.
“The RWBCIS covers crops such as apple, saffron, and litchi,” said Sartaj Ahmad Shah, Director of Agriculture Kashmir. “But despite multiple tenders, insurance companies have not shown interest.” He said some firms had sought clarifications, while others remained hesitant.
“We are still assessing the risk factors, yield volumes, and past claim patterns before making a final decision,” said a representative of an insurance company, who asked not to be named.
With the next growing season approaching, farmers say they can only hope the government steps in with a workable insurance mechanism before another storm leaves them counting their losses once again.
Published on October 31, 2025