LIGHT RAINS ACROSS VALLEY BRING RESPITE FROM HEAT
Light showers drenched Kashmir valley and parts of Jammu region on Friday bringing down the day temperatures with weather office predicting intermittent rains for the next three days.
The Valley, including capital Srinagar, received light rains for a brief period coupled with winds at some places in the afternoon which prompted the maximum temperatures to fall back towards the normal. For the past few days the temperatures were hovering some 5-7 degrees above normal in the Himalayan valley.
The meteorological centre in Srinagar said that rains were recorded in northern, central and southern Kashmir besides Banihal and Katra regions of Jammu.
The Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir received a highest of 8.2 mm rains followed by 2.7 mm in Srinagar. The MeT has predicted three days of wet weather conditions in the union territory.
The weather will be partly to generally cloudy with light rain and (snow over higher reaches) at many places with thunder, lightning, hailstorms and gusty winds at few places towards late afternoon or evening on May 11, MeT predicted.
“On May 12 also, the sky will be generally cloudy with light to moderate rain (or snow over higher reaches) at most places with gusty winds at few places,” said MeT director Mukhtar Ahmad in an update.
Gaurav Bisht
Despite the delay in fruit set and ripening of the cherry, due to unfavourable and changing weather conditions, it has got off to a good start this time with the premium quality of the fruit fetching ₹400 to ₹900 a kilogram.
The stone fruit arrival in state markets was delayed by a fortnight due to the dry winter. But growers are hopeful of reaping a rich harvest as fruit is fetching double last year’s rates, given the demand.
Consignment of cherries reaching the Dhali vegetable market from Kotgarh, Kumarsain and Nankhadi is being sold in the market for ₹400 to ₹900 per kilogram. Cherry harvest has begun in the low heights but it’s yet to take off in the higher regions.
Last year, cherry reached the market on April 13 and could be bought for ₹200 kilogram. This time, the produce reached the market in April-end and the cherries grown in the regions of Shimla district are fetching good prices ranging from ₹400 to 800 per kilogram. “The production of the cherry this season has declined due to the adverse weather in winter. One can attribute climate change for the decline in the crop,” said Anup Bhailaik, a fruit grower in Kotgarh -also known as a fruit bowl for the state for producing a variety of crops.
The highest production of cherry in the state is in the Nankhari, Kotgarh, and Narkanda areas of Shimla district. In Delhi, which is the biggest market for cherries, a box costs between ₹600 to ₹900, while growers get ₹400 to ₹600 for black cherry and ₹900 to ₹1,100 for pannet cherry.
Abhinav Jaggi a trader in Delhi who runs fruit stores in Delhi says there is demand for Himachal cherries in Karnataka, Maharashtra.
Devraj Raj, a resident of Karal village in Kotkhai says the harvest has been delayed by 20 days “This time the season is late. The traders keep inquiring about the time of harvest. I believe the adverse weather had impacted the production.” Apart from the traditional red cherry, he has grown Stella, Merchant, and Nero Deero varieties in his orchard and is expecting to reap a good profit.
Cherry production in Himachal is 35% of the average production this year.
The cherry crop in the midelevation is only 20% of the average output, while that in the mid to high elevation is 50%.
Chile is the largest exporter of cherries worldwide.
Cherries from here arrive in December and are sold for ₹1,500-₹2,500/kg.
Cherry is cultivated on nearly 550 hectares of the total fruitgrowing area. About 75% of cherry cultivation is done in the Shimla district. In many areas, people are preferring cherry farming over growing apples.Compared to apples, the cherry plant is ready to bear fruit in three years but the apple takes 10 years.
In Shimla district, Narkanda, Kandyali, Kotgarh-Kumarsen, Rampur, Rohru, and Kotkhai are the main areas of cherry cultivation. Red, Blackheart, Durane Nero, Stella, Celcier, Bing, Merchant, and Sunburst are some of the commercial cherry varieties grown in the fruitgrowing fruit belt of the Shimla district.