Anantnag: In the peak of Kashmir’s apple season, a mild gust of wind was enough to flatten an entire high-density orchard in Mirdanter village, Anantnag, exposing what experts call a growing crisis in the valley’s horticulture sector.
The eight-kanal orchard, planted in 2019 by grower Arif Shafiq Bhat through a private developer, was touted as a model for the region’s high-density cultivation drive. On Thursday morning, its galvanised iron (GI) trellis system buckled under moderate weather, toppling rows of fruit-laden trees just days before harvest.
“The trellis was too weak to withstand even moderate weather,” Bhat said, pointing to twisted pipes and bruised apples on the ground. “If proper material and engineering had been used, this wouldn’t have happened. I’ve lost a year’s worth of work, and recovery will take years.”
Investigations reveal that across Kashmir, many orchards are being fitted with substandard GI trellis systems made from thin, under-spec pipes — often less than 1.5 millimetres thick and weighing under 10 kilograms — instead of the heavy-grade materials mandated by Indian Standard (IS) 1239. Experts insist that only Class C heavy-grade GI pipes with a thickness of 4 millimetres or more and a 250 GSM zinc coating, or reliable prestressed concrete poles, are fit for long-term use.
Compounding the problem is the absence of proper structural engineering in trellis installation. Layout, anchoring, and tensioning — critical for withstanding wind and snow loads — are often ignored. Hailnet systems, meant to protect crops, are sometimes poorly designed and installed, creating wind resistance that further strains weak frames.
A senior horticulture engineer warned, “Orchards are built for 40–50 years, but these poorly built systems can fail in under five. This causes massive farmer losses and undermines trust in high-density farming.”
Many farmers, unfamiliar with technical standards, rely entirely on contractors who may cut costs by using lighter materials or skipping crucial components. Industry insiders are calling for farmer education, strict regulation, and quality enforcement to safeguard the future of the valley’s fruit industry.
For Bhat, the lesson has come at a heavy cost. Standing over the wreckage of his collapsed orchard, he said, “This is not just my loss. If this continues, it will be the loss of our entire apple industry.” [KNT]
