CHITRAL, April 1: The extended winter season in Chitral due to incessant snowfall in high altitude areas here has delayed the advent of spring and seriously affected productivity of cereal crops and fruits.

Hayat Baig, an agriculturist working with an NGO, told this correspondent here on Sunday that  the spring season in the valley had been delayed by over 40 days, which was not good for various seasonal crops. He said that the extended snowfall had multiplied problems for the farmers and residents.

He said that almond flowers usually blossomed in February, heralding the arrival of spring, but this year this was yet to happen as severe cold had still gripped the valley. He said that situation in upper parts of the valley that received unprecedented snow this year was worse than the lower parts.

The agriculturist said that the roots of seedlings of wheat and barley had withered away for want of higher temperatures, while heavy snow still shrouded the area.

The farmers in the area grow wheat and barley for their sustenance, while livestock is another major source of their food and income. He said that both the crops and livestock sector would be affected by the continued snowfall. He feared that the trees of apricot, peach, pear and apple might not bear fruit this time due to lack of comparatively high temperatures.

Mr Baig said that apple and apricots were grown on commercial scale in the upper Chitral valley and the low productivity would further weaken the economic position of the farmers.

ROADS BLOCKED: Roads to a number of branch valleys are closed to traffic for last two months and people there are facing shortage of daily-use commodities.

The accumulation of heavy snow in the hills has been triggering avalanches, which have blocked the roads. The avalanches have been reported from villages of Kari, Garam Chashma, Sarghuz, Oveer and Yarkhun.

An official of communication and works department said that roads of branch valleys were still threatened by avalanches and they would have to wait for another month to clear the roads.

The harsh snowy conditions this year have also affected the arrival of migratory birds from Siberia to plains of Pakistan.