The ongoing dry spell in Kashmir may decline the agricultural produce, including of apples, apricots, almonds and paddy crops.

The horticulture sector in the Valley has already suffered losses worth Rs 1,000 crore during the September floods in 2014, a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India has said.

Despite the temperatures plunging several notches below normal, the Valley is yet to receive a major snowfall this year. Gulmarg in north Kashmir witnessed a moderate snowfall on January 5.

The days have become unusually warm, recording temperatures varying between 12°C and 15°C during Chillai Kalan, the 40-day harshest winter period, in the Valley.

Due to the prevailing weather conditions, the farmers are worried.

Experts have warned that decreased precipitation will have serious consequences on the agricultural produce, if dry weather conditions continued.

“There would be decreased moisture concentration in the soil, if precipitation is less. Low moisture content in the soil will stunt the growth of fruit and paddy crops and even deteriorate their quality,” said Bashir Ahmad, member of the Kashmir Fruit Growers Association.

The production of the Rabi crops is also determined by the moisture content in the soil.

“Paddy requires water and with no snow and rain in the winter, there will be a decline in irrigation reserves, which will affect the crop production. Pulses, pea, wheat and oilseeds are all likely to face a decline in production, if there is not enough precipitation in winter,” said Fayaz Ahmad, an expert at the Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir.

The production in the temperate fruits, including apple, apricots and almonds, also depend on the soil moisture content and hence will be affected by the dry weather conditions.

Azra Kamili, environment science expert at the University of Kashmir, said unusually rising temperatures have already lead to a decline in agricultural produce over the last few years and food insecurity in the Valley.

In Shopian district of south Kashmir, special congregational prayers were held by the farming community for an end to the dry spell.

Source - http://www.tribuneindia.com/