In Himachal Pradesh it rained for two days, the upper Shimla district had snowfall on Tuesday: thus the chilling requirements of the apple trees were met just on time. The upper parts of the Shimla district produce 70 percent of all apples in Himachal.
S.P. Bhardwaj, a horticulture expert, told The Statesman: “It is a good beginning. Apples need 1000 to 1200 chill hours (depending on the variety), and snowfall at this time helps a lot.” In the past years, snowfall often occurred in late January or February, which was not suitable for the apple crop.
The apple economy in Himachal Pradesh runs into some 40 billion rupees with around 15,000 families associated with it, mainly in the Shimla, Kullu and Kinnaur districts. According to official records, apples are produced on 12,500 hectares in the state with productivity as low as 3 to 4 tonnes per hectare. Apple production in Himachal Pradesh is around 40 million boxes (of 20 kilograms) if crops are good.
