Rain washes away bumper cherry crop

Cherry cultivation has been a traditional source of livelihood for people in Dara, Harwan and Shalimar areas of Srinagar where orchardists have honed their skills for generations. “Srinagar district alone cultivates cherries across 333 hectares of land, resulting in an impressive yield of approximately 3,000 metric tonnes. This shows the economic and cultural significance of cherries in the Valley,” says Mohd Amin Bhat, director, Horticulture department, Jammu and Kashmir. The beginning of the cherry picking season signals the start of a happy period for the farmers of the region. 

However, this year witnessed untimely rain in April and May, posing a tremendous challenge for the cherry growers. The fruits, which had almost ripened, got destroyed and what was expected to be a bumper harvest has now left many struggling. The untimely arrival of heavy rain wreaked havoc on the cherry trees during their crucial flowering and fruiting stage. Delicate blossoms, usually a promising sign of a rich harvest, were washed away prematurely by relentless downpour, leading to significant drop in fruit production.

To compound the difficulties of the farmers, the prolonged rainfall created a suitable environment for fungal disease. Cherry trees and fruits became infested with fungus, leading to widespread decay and rot. “The whims of nature haven’t spared anything,” a farmer said. 

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Fahim Mattoo and Sadaf Shabir are Srinagar-based journalists. 

Video credit: Novita Singh