Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Jun 20: Cherry growers in this central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district said they suffered “severe damage” due to the inclement weather.
Farmers and garden owners associated with the crop said that they are worried due to fluctuating weather and continuous rains.
“We were expecting a good crop season this year, but the torrential rains and hailstorms have caused significant damage to cherry trees here like in other parts of the valley,” they said.
The cherry season begins in the first week of May and ends in the last week of June. The farmers from Ganderbal’s Gutligabh village, which produces more cherries as compared to other districts, said they are facing huge losses.
“We took every step, from spraying standard pesticides to timely use of fertilizers, to ensure good and quality produce this year. However, due to the poor weather, everything turned futile,” said a farmer. “Only a limited amount of cherries are reaching the valley markets after the massive crop loss. We are unable to pay the labour charges.”
The cherry growers have appealed to the administration to send a team to assess the loss and compensate them.
