The ongoing monsoon season has wreaked havoc on Himachal Pradesh’s horticulture and agriculture sectors, causing a combined loss of nearly ₹40 crore, with Mandi district bearing the brunt of the devastation.
According to official reports, the Horticulture Department alone has reported damages exceeding ₹27 crore, while the Agriculture Department has incurred losses worth over ₹11 crore. Mandi district, in particular, has emerged as the worst-affected area in both sectors.
The state has witnessed multiple incidents of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in recent weeks, which have led to large-scale destruction of farmland and crops. “In the horticulture sector, Mandi district has suffered a staggering loss of approximately ₹25 crore,” a senior official from the Horticulture Department said. “More than 500 hectares of horticultural land have been affected, directly impacting around 1,270 fruit growers. The damage is especially severe in apple-growing regions, where not only crops but also apple trees have been destroyed.”
The Agriculture Department has reported similar concerns, with Mandi once again emerging as the most severely impacted district. Out of the total estimated ₹11 crore loss in agriculture, Mandi accounts for over ₹8 crore. “Farmers in the region had recently sown their crops when natural calamities struck, resulting in extensive damage to cultivated land,” an agriculture official stated.
Authorities are continuing to assess the full extent of damage and are in the process of preparing compensation and relief packages for the affected farmers. The state government has also initiated emergency measures to restore connectivity and irrigation infrastructure in the worst-hit areas.
The repeated natural disasters during the monsoon have raised alarm among farmers and agricultural experts, who are calling for improved early warning systems, sustainable farming practices, and long-term disaster resilience planning to protect the livelihoods of those dependent on agriculture and horticulture in the state.
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