Kashmir Apple Orchards Face Season-Long Losses From Intensifying Hailstorms

Short, intense hailstorms are causing escalating damage to apple orchards across Kashmir, with storms now clustering between April and June and striking during the critical flowering stage when crops are most vulnerable. Studies document a sharp rise in hailstorm frequency, leaving farmers with limited insurance cover and mounting multi-season losses.

In Damhal village, approximately 80 kilometres from Srinagar, apple growers report repeated crop failures following hailstorms that arrive in brief but violent bursts during the flowering window. Farmers say the storms leave little chance of recovery within the same season, and orchard health deteriorates cumulatively over multiple years. Scientific analysis confirms a significant increase in hailstorm events in the Kashmir Valley, with activity now concentrated between April and June — the period when apple trees are most sensitive to weather damage.

Kashmir's apple economy, valued at several thousand crore rupees annually and employing hundreds of thousands of farming families, is structurally exposed to this shift. Unlike drought or gradual warming, hailstorms cause immediate and near-total crop loss within minutes. The changing seasonality of these events reflects broader climate disruption in the western Himalayas, where warming trends are altering precipitation patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme weather.

Growers and agricultural extension officials are calling for expanded access to hail netting, crop insurance penetration and early warning systems linked to mobile alerts. Current insurance uptake remains low due to complex claim processes and awareness gaps. State agricultural agencies are under pressure to develop targeted adaptation support before the 2027 season, as scientists warn that hailstorm intensity is likely to increase further under projected warming trajectories.

Key figure — 80 kilometres from Srinagar — Damhal village, among the worst-affected apple farming areas