Dehradun, Jan. 22 -- Persistent dry weather and an almost complete absence of winter rainfall and snowfall have deepened anxieties among apple growers in Uttarakhand, particularly in Uttarkashi district which is the major apple cultivation region in the state. The farmers are fearing a repeat of last year's disappointing yield. Orchardists in key fruit belts such as Syori and Dhari Kafnol, which last season recorded apple production as low as 30 per cent of expected output, have expressed mounting concern as January advances with negligible precipitation and insufficient chilling hours for fruit trees.
Naugaon, Purola and Mori blocks of the Rawai Valley in Uttarkashi district, which together typically produce over 25,000 metric tonnes of a...