According to the managing director of the Himachal Pradesh Marketing Board, timely rainfall might increase the production of cherries up to 375 metric tons this year, which would be 25 tons more than last season. However, weeks of warm and dry weather conditions have taken their toll on stone fruit in Himachal Pradesh. The dry spell has affected the produce, though farmers and government agencies had predicted a bumper yield.
The weather conditions have impacted the fruit development and resulted in early ripening of cherry. “The dry spell has been unusually long this time. We expected a good crop, but the weather vagaries have reduced the yield,” said one fruit grower from Kotgarh, the fruit bowl of the state.
Source: hindustantimes.com