Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 31: The apple growers of Kashmir are worried because of the appearance of scab infection on the leaves and fruits dashing their hopes of a good crop this year.
The growers said that the infection has surfaced when the industry has experienced misfortunes in the form of two back-to-back lockdowns and heavy snowfall in last one and a half years. “20 percent of trees are battered by scab and the snow damaged 30% rootstock. Some 10-20 percent damage was caused by the hailstorm, which means we will receive only 50% crop this year. The industry is going through a rough patch from the last two years and we were anticipating a better crop this year. But that did not happen,” Basit Ahmad, a distraught grower told Excelsior said.
While most of the orchardists attribute this scab infection to the substandard pesticides, experts maintain that the incessant rains, which delayed fungicide spraying, are responsible for this infection.
The orchardists blame spurious pesticides for failing to stop the spread of the infection. They said the scrupulous persons are selling spurious pesticides and fertilizers to the growers that cause the damage.
“Pesticides and fertilizers of hundreds of companies bearing different names and price tags have become available in the Valley and opportunists are operating under the shadow of the pandemic this time. They are selling the worst chemicals and no one is stopping them,” Younis Ahmad, grower said, adding substandard pesticides are destroying the crops.
Although the disease affects the crop almost every year because of delay in spraying the fungicides, the scale of the disease is higher this time with growers witnessing such a phenomenon after a long time. The growers said that scab affected crop sells at half the market price and it incurs great losses to farmers.
Officials said that reports of infection have been received from all districts in Kashmir, except in the higher reaches where owing to climatic conditions the sprouting was late compared to the plains.
Director Horticulture, Aijaz Ahmad, admitted that there was a presence of substandard pesticides available in the market and proposed that the department should make the licensing authority for the sale of pesticide and insecticides. “The substandard pesticides and insecticides affect the apple industry and the government should hand over the license giving authority to horticulture department so that there a proper mechanism in place to bring this illicit trade under control,” he said, adding that the growers don’t apply the prescribed chemicals as they buy them on the advice of dealers.
He added that the growers should consult the concerned officials who are qualified. “The helpline numbers are available. They should make use of the facility,” he said, adding there would be around 20% decline in the crop production for dry weather.
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