Excelsior Correspondent
KARGIL, Apr 21: The famous Apricot orchards faced significant damage due to unseasonal snowfall and heavy rains, particularly in the Kargil region.
The sudden weather change has caused widespread damage to apricot trees in full bloom, breaking branches and stripping away blossoms.
This has resulted in substantial harvest losses and threatens the livelihood of local farmers who rely on apricot cultivation.
The villages including Hardas, Shilikchay, Karkitchoo, Goma Kargil, Batalik and Minji have reported crop damage ranging from 40% to as high as 70%, according to preliminary estimates from Baseej-e-Zaraat-wa-Baghbani (BZB).
In a press statement issued, BZB said that farmers who had nurtured their orchards with hope now face immense losses, not just of their current harvest, but of years of effort invested in sustaining their lands.
A farmer Haji Mohd Akhone from Poyen expressed deep sorrow as he surveyed his frost-bitten apricot and apple trees.
“This snow came too late, too harsh. It has frozen the blossoms, shattered branches and taken our year’s income with it,” he said.
Similarly, the farmers in Shilikchey and Goma Kargil reported a near wipeout of over 3,000 trees—leading to estimated losses of Rs 20–25 lakhs.
Meanwhile, Al Hima-laya Green Mission & Research Centre has appealed to the Administration of UT Ladakh to immediate damage assessment, fair compensation for affected growers and long-term measures to support climate-resilient agriculture in the region.
The back-to-back celebration and calamity serves as a sobering reminder of the urgent need to address climate vulnerability in Ladakh.
While the apricot blossom festival remains a symbol of beauty and heritage, the aftermath highlights the fragility of rural livelihoods in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
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