Hailstorm damages vegetables, flowers, fruits in Sonepat

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Tandon

Sonepat, March 7

Hailstorm coupled with heavy rain, which lashed the region four days ago, caused an extensive loss to fruit, vegetable and flower crops in Rai, Kharkhoda and Sonepat block.

80-100% loss in fruit-bearing trees

• Farmers in the district are growing vegetables in around 22,000 acres, fruit in around 2,000 acres, and flowers in around 500 acres
• Crops of lady finger, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, tomato, capsicum, bell pepper, baby corn, sweet corn, cucumber and cabbage were also damaged due to hailstorm

As per the initial reports of the Horticulture Department, there was almost 80-100 per cent loss in the fruit-bearing trees, including Indian plum and guava. The plum fruit (ber) was ready to be sold in the market and the farmers had to bring them at the time of Shivratri festival.

Surajmal, an orchard owner in Khewra village said he had export quality fruits in his orchard in 2.5 acres. The hailstorms completely damaged the fruits and the flowers on apple trees, he said.

As per reports, the crops of lady finger, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, tomato, capsicum, bell pepper, baby corn, sweet corn, cucumber and cabbage were also damaged due to hailstorms.

District Horticulture Officer Rakesh Kumar said the recent hailstorms and rains caused a lot of damage to the vegetable, fruit and flower growers in the district. He added that the farmers in the district are growing vegetables in around 22,000 acres, fruit orchards in around 2,000 acres, and flowers in around 500 acres.

As per initial reports, there was a loss of around 70-80 per cent in the vegetable crops while in some areas it was reportedly almost 100 per cent, the DHO added.

The farmers in Barota, Baiyanpur, Harsana, Rathdhana, Rai, Chhathehra, and Nasirpur, etc villages are flower farming and the main crops are lily, rose, daisy, mogra, marigold and other flowers in the region, but due to hailstorms the flowers have been damaged, he said.

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