BATHINDA, April 4 -- Rain accompanied by strong winds and hailstorms early this week has caused damage in kinnow orchards where trees are in the crucial fruit setting stage in south Punjab, leaving growers worried. The Abohar belt of Fazilka district is known as the hub of the kinnow cultivation in the country, whereas the semi-arid districts of Muktsar and Bathinda also have orchards of the citrus fruit. The semi-arid region witnessed intermittent rainfall and gusty winds in the last 24 hours since late Thursday evening. Orchardists said the current climatic conditions were not conducive for kinnow crop. Abohar-based orchardist Arvind Setia said, "The citrus orchards are at the fruit setting stage and stormy weather has done considerable damage to the crop in several pockets of Abohar that are at the initial stage. Almost the entire kinnow belt had a good flowering season but spells of hailstorms and windy conditions dropped fruits which are in their infancy," he added. Officials said a weather forecast had predicted more inclement conditions in the coming days. "Inputs suggest damage to orchards in a few pockets of Muktsar and Fazilka. Efforts are on to assess the loss to kinnow orchards in the south Malwa districts," said an official of the state horticulture department. A leading fruit trader from Fazilka, Surinder Charaya, said the kinnow crop started on a good note when the orchards witnessed bumper flowering. But a sudden change in the weather has brought anxiety among the fruit growers, he added. Another farmer, Sukhmandar Singh, said rains had caused serious losses to the standing crop of wheat as well. "The wheat crop was gearing up for harvest in the next couple of weeks, but an adverse weather forecast poses a new threat to both kinnow and the main rabi crop. Farmers are already grappling with financial distress due to the untimely rains," he added....