New Delhi, July 23: Climate change is increasingly threatening Ladakh’s iconic apricot orchards with erratic rainfall, declining winter snowfall and rising temperatures disrupting cultivation of the fruit that forms the backbone of the region economy, food security and cultural heritage.
According to a report nearly 62 per cent of India’s total apricot production making the fruit one of the Union Territory’s most valuable agricultural commodities. Besides being consumed fresh during summer, dried apricots and apricot based products such as oil, jams and juices provide nutrition and income to local communities throughout the year.
However, changing weather patterns are putting this centuries-old farming system under stress. Scientists and farmers say intense rainfall, unusual snowfall during spring and warmer winters are affecting flowering, fruit set and overall production.
“Last year, due to intense rainfall and snowfall, there was a huge loss of apricot flowers in the region. The rainfall is for a short time, but it is heavy and intense, which is affecting Ladakh, especially during July and August,” said Sonam Lotus, Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Jammu and Kashmir.
Farmers reported heavy losses during the 2025 flowering season after a day of intense rain caused widespread blossom drop. Stanba Gyaltsan, co founder of Ladakh Orchards, said orchards across the Sham and Aryan valleys suffered production losses of 40-50 per cent.
Apricot trees are deeply woven into Ladakhi life, serving as a source of food, income and cultural identity. The fruit is traditionally gifted to relatives, while its kernels are processed into edible and medicinal oil. Many orchards consist of trees planted nearly a century ago and passed down through generations.
Researchers warn that continued warming could force temperate fruit cultivation to shift to higher elevations. Local scientist Kunzang Lamo noted that Ladakh experienced an unusually warm spring in 2026 after receiving very little snowfall during winter, causing apricot trees to bloom weeks earlier than usual.
The report also highlights the growing impact of extreme weather events. According to IMD data, Ladakh recorded 930 per cent above normal rainfall in August 2025, making it the wettest August on record. Heavy rainfall damaged infrastructure, disrupted transport and exposed the vulnerability of the region’s fragile mountain ecosystem.
Scientists attribute the changing precipitation pattern partly to stronger western disturbances, weather systems originating over the Mediterranean that are now reaching Ladakh with greater intensity due to climate change.
“Western disturbances used to travel at lower elevations, but now they carry more energy and reach Ladakh, bringing heavy rainfall and snowfall,” said A.P. Dimri, Director of the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism.
Experts emphasised that climate adaptation measures, including improved orchard protection, climate resilient farming practices and better weather preparedness, will be essential to safeguard Ladakh’s apricot economy and preserve a crop that has sustained Himalayan communities for generations.