Shimla, June 14 -- Despite vibrant colours and high market rates this season, cherry growers in Himachal Pradesh are facing a tough year due to low yields triggered by erratic weather.

Heavy pre-season rainfall, unseasonal heat, and other climate fluctuations have led to a significant reduction of cherry production, leaving farmers across key cherry-growing belts like Fagu, Theog, Kandiyali, Kumarsain, and Narkanda in Shimla district disappointed.

As the cherry harvesting season along National Highway-5 draws to a close, and while the fruit commands good prices ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 600 per kilogram, the disappointed farmers say it is barely enough to meet their high production costs.

Jeet Ram, a cherry farmer from Kandiyali near N...