Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, Feb 20: Yet another spell of heavy snowfall has ignited hopes of farmers for a better yield in both the horticulture and agriculture sectors.
January broke the three-month-long dry spells in Kashmir following which multiple spells of snow and rains were witnessed in February.
The valley plains received a fresh snowfall on Tuesday after incessant rains for last two days.
The precipitation has brought a wave of optimism, particularly among apple growers who have reported ample water supply to their orchards.
“It is more than a miracle for us. We witnessed a prolonged dry spell for many months, which drastically affected the orchardists. Now, February proved to be a beneficial month for us as we received a heavy snowfall again in the plains, which supplied enough water to our apple orchards,” Fayaz Ahmad Malik, president North Kashmir apple growers association, said.
He said the wet spell will protect the orchards from various diseases, which infest trees due to the dry weather conditions.
“Our trees were attacked by rodents during the dry weather period of more than three months. The recent rains and snowfall will certainly protect our orchards from the rodents as well as the diseases, which emerge due to the lack of nourishment to the trees,” he said.
Farmers anticipate a better yield of mustard this spring season as well. “Mustard marks the beginning of farming in Kashmir. It essentially needs snow and rain during the winter season. We hope for a better yield this year,” said Ghulam Mohammad Dar, a farmer.
Farmers said the ample snowfall and rains equally benefit paddy cultivation in Kashmir. “Ample snow during winter means spontaneous irrigation for paddy during summers. Paddy needs ample water during its cultivation and it becomes possible only when it snows heavily during winters in Kashmir,” Dar said.
Pertinently, December last year witnessed a 79 percent deficit in rainfall.
The month of January has been also dry majorly, which raised concerns among the farmers, tourism players, and environmentalists.
