Kashmir’s apple industry has suffered losses estimated at nearly  ₹ 2,000 crore after heavy August 2025 rainfall triggered widespread fruit drop, highway disruptions and a wave of premature “panic” harvesting. The excessive rains hit orchards just before the normal harvest window, forcing growers to pick a large portion of the crop in September, weeks before the fruit reached optimum maturity. Landslides and repeated closures of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway left little choice.