Hailstorm Ravages Apple Orchards in Zainapora, Jammu and Kashmir — Over 2,000 Farmers Affected

On June 2, 2025, a violent hailstorm swept through the Zainapora constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, severely damaging apple orchards across 15 villages and threatening the livelihoods of thousands of people.

Extent of the damage

Local authorities report that more than 540 hectares of orchard land were hit and that over 2,000 apple growers sustained damage to their trees and harvests. Officials from the Agriculture Production Department have outlined available crop-loss support measures and announced tenders for a weather-based crop insurance scheme intended to speed up payouts after such events.

Economic ripple effects

Apple cultivation is a cornerstone of the regional economy, supporting an estimated 3.5 million people and contributing roughly 8% of local income — about 100 billion Indian rupees (approximately $1.2 billion) annually. Losses to orchards can equal a year's income for many families and quickly ripple out to transport workers, market vendors and seasonal laborers who depend on the harvest.

Challenges for recovery

While the crop-insurance tender is a step toward faster relief, many growers still face significant barriers: gaps in recovery financing, slow claims processing, and limited resources for replanting and rehabilitating damaged orchards. Local leaders and agricultural advocates are urging faster claims turnaround, expanded emergency funding and technical support for orchard restoration.

Broader climate context

Experts say this extreme event fits into a wider pattern of more frequent and severe weather that threatens agriculture. The Fifth National Climate Assessment documents shifting weather patterns that alter ecosystems and increase crop risk. NASA’s climate indicators show the planet is about 2.3°F warmer than the last century’s average, a change that makes extreme events more likely unless global warming is curtailed.

Similar impacts are already visible internationally: in China, rapid swings between extreme heat and heavy rains have destroyed farmland and raised vegetable prices by as much as 40%; in Spain, prolonged droughts have worsened olive shortages and driven up olive oil costs; and in parts of the United States, severe drought has degraded pastures and threatened livestock and rural incomes.

What can be done

Immediate relief measures should include faster insurance payouts, direct emergency support and subsidized replanting programs. Longer-term resilience requires investment in diversified cropping, improved storm- and frost-protection techniques for orchards, better access to credit for smallholders, and community-based disaster planning.

Communities can also help limit future warming by accelerating the shift to cleaner energy, reducing food and material waste, and cutting single-use plastics. Supporting local resilience projects and eco-friendly initiatives will reduce agriculture’s vulnerability to changing weather and help protect harvests and the people who depend on them.