<p>Srinagar: A much-needed spell of rain over the past two days has brought welcome relief to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/apples">apple</a> growers across Kashmir, following an unusually hot and dry May that had raised fears of crop damage and lower yields.</p><p>The rainfall, which also led to a sharp drop in temperatures and fresh snowfall over higher reaches like Pir Ki Gali in Rajouri district, came just in time for farmers in the key apple-producing districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, and Anantnag.</p><p>“This rain has revived the soil moisture, which is essential for fruit setting and growth,” said Bilal Ahmad, an orchardist in Kulgam. “We were extremely anxious. The trees were wilting, and the early fruit had begun to show sunburn damage.”</p><p>Experts believe the precipitation will significantly boost fruit development, lower the risk of pest attacks, and reduce the adverse effects of prolonged heat exposure—factors that were already beginning to take a toll on orchards.</p><p>Agriculture officials echoed the sentiment, describing the downpour as a “timely intervention by nature” after weeks of mounting concern among farmers over the deteriorating condition of their crops.</p>.Deadly spray: Pesticides fuel cancer surge in Kashmir’s apple belt.<p>The anxiety was not unfounded. Kashmir has been reeling from a pattern of reduced rainfall, with official data showing a 35 per cent deficit between June and late September last year. </p><p>Shopian, a major apple belt, was the worst hit, recording a staggering 81 per cent shortfall. The entire Union Territory received just 352.7 mm of rainfall during the period, well below the normal average of 542.7 mm.</p><p>Fear of a repeat performance this year had begun to spread, especially as May passed without meaningful rainfall. “This rain is nothing short of a blessing,” said Ghulam Nabi, a farmer from Pulwama. “If it had been delayed further, we would have suffered heavy losses.”</p><p>While the weather department has predicted more scattered showers in the coming days, farmers remain cautiously hopeful that the rain will sustain momentum and rescue what is shaping up to be a crucial apple season.</p><p>Kashmir accounts for over 70 per cent of India’s apple production, with an annual yield of nearly 22 lakh metric tonnes. The apple industry is the lifeline of the region’s agrarian economy, directly supporting over 3.5 lakh families. In Shopian district alone, more than 80 per cent of the population depends on apple cultivation for survival.</p>
<p>Srinagar: A much-needed spell of rain over the past two days has brought welcome relief to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/apples">apple</a> growers across Kashmir, following an unusually hot and dry May that had raised fears of crop damage and lower yields.</p><p>The rainfall, which also led to a sharp drop in temperatures and fresh snowfall over higher reaches like Pir Ki Gali in Rajouri district, came just in time for farmers in the key apple-producing districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, and Anantnag.</p><p>“This rain has revived the soil moisture, which is essential for fruit setting and growth,” said Bilal Ahmad, an orchardist in Kulgam. “We were extremely anxious. The trees were wilting, and the early fruit had begun to show sunburn damage.”</p><p>Experts believe the precipitation will significantly boost fruit development, lower the risk of pest attacks, and reduce the adverse effects of prolonged heat exposure—factors that were already beginning to take a toll on orchards.</p><p>Agriculture officials echoed the sentiment, describing the downpour as a “timely intervention by nature” after weeks of mounting concern among farmers over the deteriorating condition of their crops.</p>.Deadly spray: Pesticides fuel cancer surge in Kashmir’s apple belt.<p>The anxiety was not unfounded. Kashmir has been reeling from a pattern of reduced rainfall, with official data showing a 35 per cent deficit between June and late September last year. </p><p>Shopian, a major apple belt, was the worst hit, recording a staggering 81 per cent shortfall. The entire Union Territory received just 352.7 mm of rainfall during the period, well below the normal average of 542.7 mm.</p><p>Fear of a repeat performance this year had begun to spread, especially as May passed without meaningful rainfall. “This rain is nothing short of a blessing,” said Ghulam Nabi, a farmer from Pulwama. “If it had been delayed further, we would have suffered heavy losses.”</p><p>While the weather department has predicted more scattered showers in the coming days, farmers remain cautiously hopeful that the rain will sustain momentum and rescue what is shaping up to be a crucial apple season.</p><p>Kashmir accounts for over 70 per cent of India’s apple production, with an annual yield of nearly 22 lakh metric tonnes. The apple industry is the lifeline of the region’s agrarian economy, directly supporting over 3.5 lakh families. In Shopian district alone, more than 80 per cent of the population depends on apple cultivation for survival.</p>