During last five years the untimely snow has throw up new challenges to apple orchardists in Kashmir valley. During last two years the first snowfall of the winter was witnessed in the month of November but this year first snowfall has been witnessed in mid October and the timing incidentally coincides almost with the beginning of the harvest season. So unprecedented change in the timing of first snowfall of the season is a new challenge not only for the government but also for the farmers particularly apple orchardists in Kashmir valley. While it is quite easy for the government to ensure stocking of essentials, arrangements for hassle free power supply and fast track snow clearance operations in valley but it is obviously difficult to advance the timing for the plucking and packing of apples for the apple orchardists of valley. Now it is for the agriculture experts to get in touch with the farmers particularly the apple orchardists for a change in the process of procurement and transportation of apple from orchards to different fruit markets of the country with the motives of reducing the losses in years of untimely snowing. Obviously the priority should be timely procurement after plucking and packing of apples in orchards. For suitable procurement of apple the focus should be also on increasing the no of cold storage units in the hubs of apple production areas like Shopian and Pulwama districts in South Kashmir, Ganderbbal and Budgam districts in Central Kashmir and Baramulla and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir as otherwise most of the apple packed in orchards rots in short time as has been experienced by the apple orchardists in the years of untimely snowing during last five years of unprecedented climate change in Kashmir valley .
By all standards of understandabilities the scope for expanding the infrastructural facilities for procurement of apple has to be extended to all the districts in Kashmir valley so that scope of losses in the years of untimely heavy snowing is reduced to bearable extents. Since attractive incentives are already given to farmers for construction of cold storage units it would be better for the apple orchardists to avail the benefits of such scheme for the purposes of better procurement of apples in Kashmir valley
Since losses can’t be compensated on year to year basis, the focus should be on preventive measures to ensure that scope for losses is reduced in the years of untimely snowing. By all standards of understandabilities the scope for expanding the infrastructural facilities for procurement of apple has to be extended to all the districts in Kashmir valley so that scope of losses in the years of untimely heavy snowing is reduced to bearable extents. Since attractive incentives are already given to farmers for construction of cold storage units it would be better for the apple orchardists to avail the benefits of such scheme for the purposes of better procurement of apples in Kashmir valley.
