Kashmir apple growers distressed as early snow damages crops

As Aamir Hussain walked towards his orchard on a snowy morning in south Kashmir, red, green, and yellow apples, some ripe and others unripe, lay spread across acres of land. After a few minutes of standing there and looking about, he sat down, shaking his head in astonishment. He wasn’t able to understand what has happened and how heavy and unseasonal snow had damaged his orchard's trees and crops. He realized that 10 of the 70 trees, some of which were as old as 30 years, had split beneath the weight of the snow, and that 15 other branches had either fallen off or were hanging by the thick skin of the trunk and limbs. Early snows in the Valley are never pleasant, and farmers are constantly taken off guard, even if the weathermen warn them ahead of time. Farmers are terrified by the unexpected snowfall, especially during apple picking season. Snow always batters Kashmiri apple farmers before December, regardless of where the fields are located or what variety they are harvesting. ...