Heavy rains and floods in Kashmir-Himachal cause massive damage to apple crop

Mumbai: Apple orchards and crops have been severely damaged due to heavy rains and floods in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir in the country. In view of this loss, concern has been expressed that apple production will be 50 percent lower in the current year.

According to an estimate, apples worth Rs 1,000 crore have been destroyed in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Most of India's apple production occurs in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, and almost all of it is consumed at home. Less than two percent of apples are exported from the country.

Many fruits, including apples, are reported to be rotting in fields and orchards. In Himachal Pradesh, 10 percent of apple orchards have been washed away, which is a huge loss, as it takes fifteen years for an apple tree to mature before it starts bearing fruit, said sources in farmers' organizations United Kisan Morcha.

Apple production, which was 18.70 lakh tonnes last year, is expected to decline by fifty percent in the current year, said circles of The Apple Growers Association of India.

Kashmir has so far received fifty percent more rain than normal. Similarly, Himachal too has seen 80 percent more rain than normal.