May is considered to be the first month of the summer season in Kashmir. This year, however, cold weather and extreme precipitation have prolonged, disturbing farming activity in the region.
During the months of April and May, cold weather coupled with rains, snow, and hailstorms, have badly affected apple orchards and paddy fields in the Valley.
Apple growers say that like in the previous years, the temperature again increased in March this year, which led to the early sprouting of apples. But in April, the temperature dropped sharply due to incessant rains which affected the blossoming stage of apples and other crops.
At Daragam village of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, it's a double whammy for Bilal Ahmad. Not only his paddy seedlings are failing before plantation due to erratic weather and cold, a severe hailstorm has badly damaged his apple and cherry crops. Bilal's family of six, entirely dependent on farming, is now despairing.
"Paddy cultivation is failing. Seedling has not grown due to cold. I have sown paddy seeds again but that may come up in July," said a farmer.
