Farmers devastated after severe storm destroys key crop: 'The worst we have seen in years'

Apple farmers in India are scrambling after a devastating blizzard hit during the crucial fall harvest season. 

What's happening?

Lahaul and Spiti, a cold desert region in Northern India, is known for its mild monsoon and heavy, snowy winters. However, due to the changing climate, those snowy winters are becoming more unpredictable, arriving as early as the beginning of October, as it did this year. 

Apple farmers in the region experienced seismic losses to their harvests this year as a result, according to The Tribune India, as the snow came right at harvest time. The weight of the snow crippled the trees filled with fruit, damaging them in the process. Several orchards reported losses of up to 80% of their annual harvest.

"This is the worst we have seen in years," explained Ramesh Rulba, a farmer in Lahaul-Spiti. "Our orchards were full of apple, ready for picking. Then it snowed suddenly and branches laden with fruit broke under the weight of snow."

Why is this early snowfall in Northern India concerning?

While Northern India is no stranger to heavy snow, getting it in early autumn can be devastating to the local economy. For many of these farmers, their orchards rely on this harvest period to stay afloat, and the local food supply also suffers from these losses. 

Extreme weather and unpredictable seasons are impacting farmers all over the world. In Serbia, raspberry farmers suffered severe harvest losses from an unpredictable snowstorm in May, just weeks before harvest. An extreme pendulum in rainfall has jeopardized the livelihood of many U.S.-based farmers, who have needed to weather both heavy rainfall one season and debilitating droughts the next. 

The snowstorm in Lahaul and Spiti even had ramifications on tourism in the nearby Himalayas. Hundreds of hikers became trapped on Mount Everest as the storm whipped through the region. Residents and farmers in Northern India also believe these issues accelerated with the Atal Tunnel on the Manali-Leh highway opened in October 2020, though that hypothesis has yet to be formally confirmed.

What's being done about increasing extreme weather and its impact on farmers?

These weather events will, unfortunately, continue without global intervention due to the rapid overheating of our planet. Members of India's Legislative Assembly (MLA) have called for just that — additional research to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of these issues.

"The melting of glaciers and these erratic weather patterns must not be ignored," said Ravi Thakur, former Lahaul-Spiti MLA. "The livelihood of our farmers is at stake. We need data, research and above all, a plan." 

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