A Week back, the rising temperatures in the state had the farmers worried about sowing of kharif crop. Even horticulturists, especially apple and mango growers, were under immense stress over fruit size. But the moderate rainfall that has intermittently continued all over the state during the past three days has ended all their worries. Apple growers in Shimla, who have already suffered a loss of nearly 40 per cent due to a hail storm in April, have been relieved by the rain. A fruit grower from Kotkhai, Ankur Chauhan, said the apple crop desperately needed rain to enhance the size as the long dry weather would have shriveled the fruit. President of State Fruit Growers' Association Lekh Raj Chauhan said, "Dry weather adversely affects the size of apple, but the rain has soaked the soil with enough moisture for the next couple of weeks.' Farmers waiting to sow rice in Palam valley of Kangra and those who grow red rice in the Rohru and Chirgaon belt have also benefited by the spell of rain. Suhash Dhatwalia of Hamirpur, who owns mango orchards, said the trees have started bearing fruit and the rain will benefit the productivity. The rain has also brought the mercury down by at least 10 degrees all over the state. Sundernagar in Mandi recorded 36 mm rain on Sunday and had a maximum temperature of 32 degrees, while Una recorded a high of 35.8 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature across the state has dipped below 15 degree Celsius.