Srinagar, May 16 -- Kashmir's horticulture sector, worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore annually, continues to stand exposed to the vagaries of nature without any formal insurance cover. The recent hail storms that swept across north, central and south Kashmir have once again underscored the vulnerability of orchard owners whose livelihoods depend entirely on fruit crops. For marginal growers, who form the overwhelming majority, the destruction of orchards is not just an agricultural setback but a direct blow to household survival. Each calamity leaves them grappling with irreparable losses, while promises of crop insurance remain unfulfilled.

The absence of a structured insurance mechanism is striking given the sector's contribution to the regi...