📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / UnpetitproleX
Agriculture
Himachal Apple Farmers Fire Cannons to Stop Hailstorms
✍️ hindustantimes.com
🗓 06 Oct 2026, 09:32 AM
👁 24
Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh have begun firing cannons at storm clouds in an attempt to prevent hail damage, a method whose scientific efficacy remains uncertain.
Apple farmers in the hills of Himachal Pradesh have started using cannons to fire at storm clouds, hoping to deter hail that can devastate crops.
The practice, adopted by several growers in the Kullu and Shimla districts, involves firing a single cannon shot at the base of a thunderstorm during the peak of the monsoon.
Scientists and meteorologists warn that the technique has no proven basis in atmospheric science and may even worsen conditions.
Despite the skepticism, farmers say the method offers a low‑cost, immediate solution when hail forecasts predict heavy damage.
The state agriculture department has not yet endorsed the practice, but a few local cooperatives are monitoring the outcomes over the next season.
The practice, adopted by several growers in the Kullu and Shimla districts, involves firing a single cannon shot at the base of a thunderstorm during the peak of the monsoon.
Scientists and meteorologists warn that the technique has no proven basis in atmospheric science and may even worsen conditions.
Despite the skepticism, farmers say the method offers a low‑cost, immediate solution when hail forecasts predict heavy damage.
The state agriculture department has not yet endorsed the practice, but a few local cooperatives are monitoring the outcomes over the next season.