Srinagar, May 24 -- The back-to-back hailstorms in various parts of Kashmir have caused heavy damage to fruit industry with the growers urging the government to declare the 2026 as a disaster year. On Friday, dozens of villages in Rafiabad and Sopore witnessed a heavy hailstorm that heavily damaged orchards. Earlier, similar hailstorms were observed in Tangmarg, Pattan, Bandipora, Kulgam and Kreeri belts of the Valley, causing damage to growers. President of Sopore fruit mandi Fayaz Ahmad, alias Kakajee, said that huge damage has been caused. "Many farmers lost the hard work of their full year. This is a natural disaster. Government should declare 2026 as a disaster year if they want to save the growers," he said. Fruit is one of the major trades in Kashmir and contributes around 8% of J&K's GDP. "We have been demanding a crop insurance scheme. Had the government launched the scheme, at least growers could have got compensated. It is the job of the government to save the people affiliated with the fruit trade," he said. The minister for agriculture production Javid Ahmad Dar toured the hailstorm-affected areas in the Rafiabad constituency of Baramulla district to assess the damage caused to crops and orchards. Dar interacted with the farmers, orchardists and local residents, who apprised him of the scale of losses incurred and sought immediate government intervention. Expressing concern over the hardships faced by the farming community, he assured that genuine cases of crop and orchard damage would be thoroughly assessed and relief will be measures extended. "The welfare of farmers remains the government's top priority," the minister said....