India: Himachal apple output down 50%

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed one of the lowest apple-producing season this year. According to the state government estimate, harvest is expected to settle at around 12.5 million boxes this year, less than half of last year’s output of 26 million boxes.

Farmers say an almost snowless winter and a weak monsoon took a heavy toll on the apple production of the state.

Aware of the adverse factors, the state horticulture department in late June had scaled down the production forecast to 18 million boxes. But the actual production fell even further.

Officials say, under the market intervention scheme, barely 913 tonnes of apple were procured by the state government this year. This is the lowest ever procurement by the state.

Last year, 45,500 tonnes of apple were procured for processing into juice, jams and chutney among other products at fruit processing centres across the hill state.

Rajeev Chauhan, one of the largest apple growers in the state, told Business Standard, “Perhaps, the only relief for farmers this season was that they were able to fetch high prices for their produce.This was possible because of low production.”


Source: business-standard.com

Publication date: 11/6/2009

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