Hailstorms accompanied by rain have damaged the ripening wheat crops, fruits and vegetables in farmers' fields in Salyan. The hailstorm that fell for more than half an hour on Sunday evening damaged the production of farmers in Bangad Kupinde Municipality, Sharda Municipality, Bagchaur Municipality, and Kumakh Rural Municipality.

Indra Sharma, a farmer from Sharda Municipality-4, said that all the vegetables he planted in five ropanis except cabbage were destroyed, and pomegranates and lemons planted in 10 ropanis were damaged. 'The tomatoes were starting to ripen, some were starting to bloom, beans were blooming, all the newly planted bitter gourds, gourds, and ghiraulas were destroyed,' he said. 'The onions that had just started to bloom have all fallen. The pomegranate seeds have fallen and are all black on the ground. The leaves have become wrinkled.' 

Tek Bahadur Budhathoki, a farmer from Bangad Kupinde-9, said that hailstorm damaged his 10 ropanis of ripe wheat crop. He informed that the hailstorm had washed away all the wheat and the stalks were soaked with water. ‘The land in 10 ropanis used to produce three murris of wheat, and if you eat rice in the morning and roti in the evening, you could easily cover your expenses for three months.  Everything is over,’ he said.

Yagya Bahadur Dangi, ward chairman of Bagchaur Municipality-9, said that farmers in Kotmaula and surrounding areas have damaged oranges that were in their gardens and the bernas they kept for sale. He informed that more than 200 farmers have been affected after the hailstorm damaged the oranges. ‘Farmers had been earning Rs 250 million annually by selling oranges. There is concern as production will decrease,’ he said.