Hailstorm may have affected mango, lychee crops

A hailstorm today lashed parts of Dehra Dun and some other parts of Uttarakhand leading to reports that it might have badly affected crops of mango and lychee.

Office of the Horticulture and Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said an assessment regarding the exact extent of damage to the crops was being ascertained. “We are getting reports from several areas. We will make an assessment shortly,” said an official.

Farmers from different parts of the district said the hailstorm had badly affected the crops and sought compensation from the government in this regard. Complaints of damage to the crops have come from other parts of the hill state also.

 

The hailstorm uprooted trees and damaged standing crops.

Dehra Dun, a prominent lychee-growing town, has recorded an estimated 5,000 metric tons (mt) of production in the recent past and had been hoping for a bumper crop this year.

The damage to the crops would also mean a severe setback to the government’s efforts to export lychee this season.

The horticulture department also admitted that the production of lychee would decline this season due to inclement weather.

Four years ago, the export production of lychee had touched 70-75 mt mainly due to efforts of the Agri Export Development Unit (AEDU). Lychee was being exported to various countries like New Zealand, Holland and UAE. But in the past three years, export of lychee and other fruits has received a jolt especially after the AEDU became non-functional.