Srinagar: Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal on Friday visited hailstorm affected areas of Baramulla, Kupwara districts of north kashmir. The hailstorm, gusty winds and heavy rains damaged crops across the several parts of the north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
The Director Agriculture, along with Joint Director Agriculture Inputs Kashmir Mohammed Younis Choudhary, Chief Agriculture Officer Baramulla Yadwinder Singh, Chief Technical Officer DAK, Sheikh Imran and some senior officers of the department made an extensive visit to the affected areas where damage was noticed to the agricultural crops.
Iqbal directed the monitoring teams to make on spot assessment of the damage caused to the vegetable crops, paddy nurseries and mustard crop by the recent hailstorm in specific areas like Ladoo, Rafiabad of Baramulla and Ladoo, Zirhama areas of Kupwara district. A number of delegations of farmers also met Director Agriculture and reported the damage to vegetables, mustard and other crops.
Talking to the farmers, the Director Agriculture said that the department is committed to economic security of the farming community. He assured the affected farmers that all the necessary steps would be taken to mitigate the damage caused by the hailstorm and gusty winds to the agriculture crops.
Instructions were issued by the director agriculture to field officers to immediately make a detailed assessment of the losses and the concerned CAOs have been advised to furnish the crop wise and area wise damage reports with in a week’s time so that the report could be submitted to the concerned authorities.

KR Desk