Srinagar*, Sept. 8 -- The recent floods in Kashmir have dealt a severe blow to the Valley's apple industry, the backbone of its rural economy. Widespread inundation in major horticultural belts has left orchards waterlogged, damaging standing fruit and threatening long-term productivity of trees.Growers from Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Baramulla, districts said the untimely floods struck at a crucial stage when apples were maturing, leading to extensive fruit drop and rotting. "More than half of our produce has been spoiled. Even the fruit that survived is losing quality," said Abdul Rashid, an orchardist from Shopian.Initial estimates by horticulture experts suggest that thousands of metric tonnes of apples may have been lost, pushing the ...