Meer Irfan
A brief but intense hailstorm pummeled several villages in Tral, South Kashmir, on Sunday, damaging vast swathes of agricultural land at a time when orchards were beginning to bloom.
The storm, which battered areas including Machama, Bagandar, Syeadabad, and Aripal, lasted for about half an hour. Large hailstones and heavy rain left fields strewn with damaged flowers and crushed crops, with farmers left scrambling to assess the losses.
Apple growers were hit the hardest. The storm arrived just as trees were in their flowering phase—a critical window for fruit formation.
Many expressed fears that this year’s yield might be compromised, with the damage visible across entire orchards.
Other crops—vegetables, and even patches of saffron—did not escape unscathed.
Farmers and residents who rely heavily on agriculture for their livelihoods described the storm as a blow not just to their crops, but to their financial stability.
As the skies cleared, uncertainty lingered. With damage assessments still underway, early estimates point to significant economic fallout for the region’s farming community.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
