Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh face a tough season with low production due to bad weather and high input costs. While premium apples get good prices, farmers struggle with profitability, delayed payments, and competition from imported fruit.
The apple growers in Himachal Pradesh are facing a difficult season marked by a sharp decline in production, high input costs and uncertainty over market returns, even as premium apples are fetching relatively firm prices of up to Rs 3,000-3,500 per 20 kg box, farmers and traders said in Shimla on Saturday.
The growers said erratic weather during flowering, including unseasonal rain, hail and cold conditions, has severely affected fruit setting, particularly in the lower and middle belts, while even higher-altitude orchards have reported uneven production and poor fruit sizing.
Growers' Plight: Low Production and Rising Costs
Speaking to ANI at Dhalli Apple Fruit Market in Shimla, apple farmer Daulat Ram of Ratnari village of Shimla district said the crop was initially expected to perform well but was hit by weather conditions during the crucial flowering period. "The crop is low this year. In some places there is some crop, while in the lower belt it is very low. The middle belt is also mixed, with some growers having a crop and others having none. During flowering, it sometimes gets cold, rains or hail occurs, and the flowers are damaged. That ultimately affects fruit setting and reduces the crop," he said.
Daulat Ram said growers were currently receiving around Rs 3,000-3,500 per box for good-quality apples, which he described as satisfactory, but stressed that the price must remain remunerative because production and marketing costs have risen sharply. "The rates are currently around Rs 3,000-3,500, which is fine. But the grower has to pay for labour, cartons, transportation and all the other expenses involved in producing the crop. When the entire year's expenditure is added up, there is hardly anything left for us. We expect the government to ensure a fair and stable price so that the grower can at least recover his costs," he said.
Concerns Over Payments and Imports
The farmer also raised concerns over delayed payments under the government's Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), saying even small growers have been waiting for payments from previous seasons. "The previous year's MIS payment has not been received yet. Some people have not received payments for two or three years. The government buys the produce, but the payment does not come on time. I am a small grower and had only 10-20 bags under the scheme, but even that payment is still pending. What are we supposed to do?" He said small growers were particularly vulnerable because they lacked the bargaining power and resources available to large orchardists.
He said growers in the region sell their produce through different channels, including the Dhalli/Parala market, directly to traders at their homes, through orchard contracts or by sending the produce to mandis themselves. He also expressed concern over imported apples competing with locally produced fruit, arguing that domestic growers should be given greater market protection. "When Himachal's apples are available, why should apples be brought from outside? We work throughout the year and bear all the expenses. The government should promote the apples produced here. Small growers are already struggling, and even essential inputs such as medicines are expensive and, at times, difficult to obtain. The small grower has very little support," he added.
Another apple grower, Ramesh Chauhan, said the production situation was even more concerning, with the lower belt largely witnessing crop failure and only scattered production remaining in higher areas. "This year's apple crop is very low. In the lower and middle belts, the crop has almost disappeared, while some remains in the higher areas. Even there, many orchards do not have apples. The market arrivals are low, but the expected rates are also not there. We cannot understand what is happening," he said.
Chauhan said prices at the Dhalli market were ranging from around Rs 700-800 to Rs 3,000 per box, depending on quality, with premium fruit fetching the higher rate. However, he said lower-grade apples were attracting weak demand. "The market is ranging from Rs 700-800 to Rs 3,000. Good-quality fruit is getting around Rs 3,000, while the lower grades start at Rs 600-700. The second-grade fruit is not being properly valued, and some lots are being held at Rs 700-800." He added.
Chauhan showed concern over the problems, saying that growers were facing difficulties in obtaining competitive bids for lower-grade produce and claimed that some commission agents and buyers were influencing the auction process. He said the rising cost of pesticides, fertilisers, labour and packaging had further squeezed growers' margins. "Everything has become expensive. Medicines are expensive, fertilisers are expensive, labour has become costly, and cartons are also expensive. Nothing has become cheaper. The grower is already under tremendous pressure this year. In the lower belt, many growers could not even recover their expenditure on medicines and other inputs," he added.
Chauhan also criticised the government over pending payments to growers, saying some farmers were still awaiting payments dating back several years. "What is the government giving us? Even the previous payments have not been cleared. There are pending payments for boxes and other dues, and some growers have received notices but no money. Payments from three or four years ago are still pending in some cases. Large growers may be receiving payments, but ordinary growers are very troubled," said Chauhan.
Traders' Perspective: High Prices, Weak Demand
While farmers expressed concern over profitability, traders at the market offered a different perspective, saying higher procurement prices were not necessarily translating into profits because of weak demand outside Himachal Pradesh and a large proportion of small-sized fruit. Brij Lal, an apple trader who has been coming to the market for around 10-15 years and sends fruit to Uttar Pradesh, said growers were receiving better prices for good-quality apples compared with last year. "The rates are good. Last year, produce was selling for around Rs 1,800-2,000 a box, whereas this year it is selling for around Rs 2,800-3,000. So the rate is Rs 1,000-1,500 higher per box. Growers say production is low. There was very little produce in the lower belt, less in the middle belt, while there is some crop in the higher areas. But the shine and quality have not developed properly," he said.
However, Lal said traders were struggling to make money because the higher procurement price was not matched by demand in destination markets. "The problem for those taking the fruit outside is that the market is not supporting these prices. Kashmir has also entered the market, and because of that, markets everywhere are being affected. The price here is almost the same as the price at the destination. We have loaded two or three trucks, and all of them have incurred losses," he added further.
He said he was sending the fruit to Uttar Pradesh, where limited market size and weak demand were making it difficult for traders to absorb the higher purchase prices.
The Problem of Small-Sized Apples
Lal also highlighted the issue of small-sized apples, locally referred to as 'Pittu', saying a substantial quantity of such fruit was not generating adequate returns. "The fruit size has remained small. The size has not developed properly, particularly in the middle and higher belts. Because the crop is less and the size has not developed, small fruit is also coming into the market. In some mandis, this small-sized fruit is sold along with the main lot, but it does not fetch the same value. There is money in the better-sized fruit, but not in the small fruit. That is why traders are also suffering losses," the trader said.
A Market of Contrasting Fortunes
The contrasting views from growers and traders highlight the complexity of the current apple season in Himachal Pradesh: farmers are seeking remunerative and stable prices to cover escalating production costs, while traders say higher procurement prices, weak downstream demand and a large volume of small-sized fruit are eroding their margins. With production significantly below normal levels, growers are hoping that market prices remain firm through the season, while traders are looking for stronger demand in consuming markets to offset the higher cost of procuring apples. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)