The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) has expressed its solidarity with the fruit growers of Kulgam and Shopian, whose orchards were devastated by high-speed winds on Monday.
“These strong winds ravaged large areas across the districts, knocking ripened apples from trees in orchards spread over thousands of kanals. Some of the hardest-hit villages resembled scenes of devastation, with orchards appearing as though they had been bombed,” the Chamber said in a statement issued here.
“The destruction has left hundreds of fruit growers and their families heartbroken. Many small-scale growers have lost everything and are now struggling to repay bank loans or advance payments made to fruit traders,” it said.
The KCCI said this natural disaster, which included both high-speed gusty winds and a hailstorm, underscores the urgent need for crop insurance—a long-standing demand of the Chamber and various fruit growers’ associations.
While the Director of Agriculture’s statement that crop insurance will be implemented after March 2025 is a step forward, it comes too late for those currently affected, the statement said.
The KCCI has urged the LG administration to provide generous compensation to the affected farmers and growers. “Such assistance would offer critical support during these challenging times,” it said. The Chamber has also called for an immediate assessment of the damage and prompt sanctioning of compensation for the losses incurred.