Scorching summer burns Valley8217;s apple orchards

Already, white petals were seen on the ground in the apple belt of Rafiabad. An observatory at Gulmarg shows a steep increase in the temperature, so much so that the snow reserves have already melted.

Ghulam Nabi, who sells 30,000 boxes of apple every year, says: 8220;Wherever the stem of the apple flower is weak, the petals burn and fall down owing to heat.8221; His two-acre apple orchard in Ladoora village in Rafiabad was bedded with these petals. He is expecting only 10,000 boxes of apple this time. Each box carries 16 kg of apples.

He used to get an advance from his retailer from Delhi, Ram Chand and Om Prakash sons, on these boxes. But this time, they haven8217;t turned up. 8220;Expecting a massive reduction in the apple produce, my retailers, who were expected to arrive here in February, did not come this time. Since I cannot afford to take money from the bank, which charges huge interest, I am just not able to buy the support system for the apple cultivation,8221; Nabi said.

Ghulam Mohammad, General Secretary of Kashmir Apple Growers and Dealers Union here, too predicted a steep shortfall in the crop. 8220;Last time, we had a bumper crop, but this time the spell of heat has destroyed our crops. You need a moderate temperature maximum of 25 degree, whereas in Baramulla, the mercury has already touched 28 degree in April,8221; he said.

Mohammad, who sends a supply of 55,000 boxes of apples to Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, is expecting to have a produce of 25,000 boxes.

Trends available with the Met department in Srinagar are not heartening. Its Director B P Yadav says that the snow reserves have already melted owing to heat. 8220;The snow-melting process normally used to begin in June-July. But the snow-bed at Gulmarg has already melted.8221;

Even rains have deceived the Valley this time. According to Yadav, the Valley got only 82 mm of rain against the expected 205 mm in March, which means 60 per cent of rain deficit. 8220;Between April 12 and April 19, there is a rain deficit of 71 per cent,8221; he adds.

Horticulture Director K Wazir told The Indian Express: 8220;The highland area near Pattan, which are rainfed areas, are going to suffer the most due to heat. Rafiabad, Baramulla and Sopore fall in the highland area, which supplies 60 per cent of total apples cultivated here.8221;

According to the Met department, the excess heat shortens the period of to ripe. 8220;If there is excess heat, the apple flowers will take shorter time for blooming. Even the entire riping process of the apple will be less due to heat and thus apples this time are going to be small,8221; said a horticulture official.