Rafiabad, May 22, May 23 -- A sudden and severe hailstorm has caused widespread damage to apple orchards in Chijhama Rafiabad, leaving growers facing extensive crop losses and urgent financial hardship. Tasleema Akhter, Chairperson of the ATVK, urged state and local authorities to act quickly to provide relief and compensation to affected farmers.The storm struck without significant warning, battering trees and fruit across multiple orchards and reducing this season's harvest prospects. Early assessments from growers and local agricultural workers indicate large-scale fruit loss, broken branches, and damaged young trees that could impact yields for years. Smallholder farmers and orchard laborers, already operating on thin margins, say the...