Heavy rainfall alongwith hailstones that battered Terhathum district on Monday for around an hour has damaged fruits and other winter crops like wheat and mustard amounting to more than three million rupees.

The worst affected places are Oyakthung, Simle, Jaljale, Moharan, Ambung, Sotema, Piple, Myanglung and Jirikhimti village development committees (VDCs) of the district, according to the district agriculture development office at Myanglung.

"We were not even able to protect the seeds of the winter crops," said Yam Chandra Dahal, a farmer of ward No-6 in Myanglung VDC.

Winter crops and fruit vegetation worth Rs 3.5 million was destroyed by hailstones in those VDCs, said Netra Kafley, assistant technical officer.

Likewise, hailstones in Syangja on Wednesday also caused a heavy damage to fruits and vegetable cultivation in the northern part of the district. It has damaged nurseries for vegetables, maize cultivation and seasonal and non-seasonal fruits.

The district agriculture development office is working to estimate the damage caused by the hailstones, said an official at the office. RSS