Rain plays havoc with cash crops

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 13

Intermittent heavy spells of unseasonal hailstorms, sleet and rain have ruined the crops of wheat, oats, peas, vegetables and fruits across the state in the last week, dashing hopes of farmers of a good crop this year.

The worst hit are the stone fruit of cherry, plum, peaches, almonds and apricot in the lower parts of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Kullu and Mandi districts, which are in a flowering stage.

“The fruit crop has perished in unseasonal rains as the temperature has dropped below 10°C, whereas it needs to be between 15 to 20°C during bloom,” said Kanwar Karan Singh, a farmer from Kumarsain.

Besides, the non-stop spells of hail and snowstorms have brought pruning, grafting and spraying in apple orchards to a standstill since February. “If it does not clear up in a day or two, it can be disastrous for apple bloom in the lower-altitude orchards, where the trees are showing signs of pink buds,” the growers said.

According to farmers, the fields are almost waterlogged due to continuous rain. Although the state government is yet to assess the total damage done by heavy spells of rain, farmers told The Tribune that the damage ran into over Rs 50 crore in different parts of the state.