Srinagar, April 19 -- A sudden hailstorm that hit several parts of South Kashmir on Friday has caused significant damage to flowering crops, particularly apple orchards, leaving farmers anxious about the potential loss of this year's harvest.

The hailstorm lasted for several minutes and affected areas in South Kashmir's Shopian.

Farmers say the timing of the hailstorm was especially detrimental, as the flowering stage is critical for fruit setting in apple trees and other horticultural crops.

"We were expecting a good yield this year, but this hailstorm has shattered our hopes," Ghulam Nabi, an orchardist from Shopian, told a local news agency.

"The flowers have been knocked down, and this will impact fruit production."

Experts from ...