Shimla | TNR
Two crore boxes of apples have been sent from Himachal Pradesh to mandis of other states, as the apple season reaches its fag end.
About 16 lakh boxes have been purchased by the government undertaking HPMC and HIMFED through the government’s MIS or Mandi Arbitration Scheme.
Almost the same number have been bought by private houses running CA stores in the state.
Though the estimated number of boxes in the state was 4.5 crores, this seems an unlikely target as production during this season saw a decline owing to small sizes of apples and almost 70 per cent of the apple season over.
Apples now entering the mandis are only those coming in from areas above 7700. feet.
However, the only relief for apple growers comes from the marginal increase in prices by about Rs 300 to 500 per box.
At the start of the season,apples were selling up to a maximum of Rs 4300 per box, but the market saw a sudden collapse after August 10.
As a result, several farmers were unable to recover their basic production cost.
