The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has asked the central government to declare recent hail damage to fruit crops a natural disaster so that local growers can receive compensation for huge losses incurred, reports The Times of India.
Severe hailstorms over the past three months have destroyed Rs375-crore-worth (US$84.3m) of fruit – mainly apples – in the Shimla district, much more than the previous two seasons, Himachal Pradesh ministers said.
Official estimates peg this year's Himachal Pradesh apple crop at 22.5m 20kg-cartons – around half last year's bumper harvest of 44.5m cartons.
Cherry, pear and peach crops were also hit, the authorities said.
Himachal Pradesh is one of India's major apple-growing regions. Some 90 per cent of the crop is sold domestically.
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