Himachal: 2.08 crore apple boxes were sold this season

Himachal Pradesh: Apple production this year is likely to remain at par with last year. The apple season is nearing its end and around 2.08 crore boxes have been sold so far in and outside APMC market yards. “The season is almost over. We are now getting only around 10,000 boxes daily from Shimla district. This too will stop in the next few days,” says Hemis Negi, MD, Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board. Around 2.11 crore boxes were sold last year. As per the date shared by the marketing board, around 1.16 crore boxes have been sold in HPMC mandis, while over 88 lakh boxes have been sold outside mandis.

This is the second consecutive year when apple production has been below normal. Like last year, the total production, including apples procured through MIS and stored in CA stores, is likely to be around five lakh metric tonnes, which is below the normal yield. Horticulture department officials blame adverse weather conditions for the low production. “There was less snowfall in winter and as a result, the plants did not get enough time to acclimatise. This affected the overall apple production,” said an official from the horticulture department. He said most of the orchards are getting old and are not yielding as much fruit as they used to. “People are moving towards high-density orchards, but it will take a few years to show an impact on overall production,” he said.