Israel-made nets offer apple growers a shield from hail hit

This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you.Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.

New Delhi: For India's apple growers, a single hailstorm can wipe out months of hard work and investment by damaging fruits and trees, and reducing the marketable yields. Farmers in the world's fifth-largest apple-producing country are taking to Israeli anti-hail nets to protect their orchards, driving up this shield's imports as erratic weather threatens crops and livelihoods, according to industry experts and growers.

The shift comes as changing weather patterns put pressure on apple production by hurting both the output quantity and quality in Himachal Pradesh, which caters to about 37% of the country's output. Neighbouring Jammu & Kashmir remains the country's largest apple producer, accounting for 60-65% of the country's apple production.

India produces a total of about 2.55-2.8 million tonnes of apples annually. In 2025-26, India exported 35,372 tonnes of apples, up 4% from 34,011 tonnes in the previous year, commerce and industry ministry data shows.

According to experts, India’s imports of anti-hail nets from Israel are increasing, highlighting growing demand for crop-protection solutions from Himachal’s farmers, where awareness on the issue is rising.

Israel's anti-hail nets are known for their durable material, specialized mesh construction and the ability to protect fruit without excessively reducing sunlight. These features are particularly relevant to Himachal Pradesh’s apple orchards, where farmers need to protect fruit from hail while maintaining the light conditions needed for growth.

"In the past few years, there has been significant increase in anti-hail net imports from Israel, reflecting the growing importance of crop-protection technology in Himachal Pradesh’s apple-growing sector," said Amit Lohani, founder and director of Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), which represents the organized food import sector.

India’s imports of anti-hail nets from Israel rose 21.6% to $5.49 million in 2025-26, up from $4.51 million in 2024-25, commerce and industry ministry data showed.

Himachal Pradesh leads in adoption of anti-hail nets, apple growers said. “Almost 35-40% of the orchards in Himachal are covered under anti-hail nets. Anti-hail nets are a shield of protection for apple farmers, safeguarding their precious crops from hailstorms and unpredictable weather,” said Harish Chauhan, convener of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch,a joint platform of farmers’ and horticulturists’ organisations in the state, working to protect the interests and livelihoods of apple growers, fruit farmers and vegetable producers. "By reducing fruit damage, improving quality and supporting more consistent yields, these nets help protect farmers’ hard work and income."

The area under apple cultivation in Himachal was around 1.16 lakh hectares in 2024, up from 400 hectares in 1950. The total apple production in the state was 5.02 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. Jammu & Kashmir produces over 2 million tonnes annually.

Apple farmers generally put anti-hail nets over apple trees in March–April, before the main hailstorm season, and when the pink bud starts coming. The exact timing depends on the altitude and local weather. These nets are removed around harvest time, depending on the variety and local hail risk, which is around September.

The average cost of an anti-hail net is ₹2,000-2,500 per tree, but there are government schemes to offset this cost burden. A hectare of orchard area could have 250-400 trees, depending upon the variety. These nets last for around ten years.

According to Chauhan, farmers can avail financial assistance for installing anti-hail nets under either the Centre’s Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) that provides 50% subsidy on the net's cost, or the Himachal government’s scheme that also offers an assistance of up to 50%. Financial assistance is limited to 10,000 sq metres per beneficiary under MIDH, while under Himachal's scheme it is capped at 5,000 sq metres.

"Installing anti-hail nets in my apple orchard has given me greater confidence in protecting my crop from unpredictable weather. Hailstorms can destroy months of hard work in minutes, affecting both fruit quality and income. Although installing these nets requires an initial investment, I see them as a long-term safeguard for my orchard," said Prashant Thakur, an apple farmer in Himachal's Shimla district.

"Demand is there, as farmers feel investing in anti-hail nets means investing in resilient orchards, sustainable apple farming and a more secure future for Himachal’s farming communities," said Vikrant Sauhta, proprietor of Bhagwati Traders, dealing in anti-hail nets.

Sauhta said Indian manufacturers have also forayed into anti-hail nets over the past few years. Quality-wise, Israel-made nets are considered superior, while the domestically-made variety is 10-15% cheaper.

Queries on anti-hail net imports emailed to the Israeli embassy in New Delhi and India’s commerce and industry ministry remained unanswered.

Vijay C. Roy is a journalist with over 21 years of experience covering various news beats across different organisations such as Business Standard and The Tribune. In the past, he has covered beats such as finance, auto, MSME, commodities, FMCG, pharmaceutical, agriculture, IT/ITES, infrastructure and start-ups. He joined Mint in February 2025, and covers agriculture, food processing, fertilizers, environment and climate change, bringing over two decades of experience reporting on farm policy, food inflation, crop trade, and rural livelihoods.Vijay’s areas of reporting include food security and climate change policies, focusing on their impact on different stakeholders and their implications. His expertise lies in simplifying complex agri-economic issues such as edible oil import dependence, cotton and wheat trends, fertiliser subsidies, and climate-related risks. He has covered key developments including g…