Cloud over apple’s future

Apple orchards in Jubbal-Kotkhai,Rohru,Kotgarh,Thanedar and Baggi-Tikkar are already feeling the effect of hailstorms,which has damaged crops particularly in the lower belts. The temperature has dropped below 17 degrees. Two or three sunny days this week have kept hopes up but the conditions are not yet ideal. The optimum temperature for apples during the flowering and fruit setting seasons is between 18 and 22°C.

“If the days are cloudy and temperature low,the conditions are not ideal for orchards,” says Vijay Singh Thakur,associate director,Horticulture Research Station of Dr Y S Parmar Horticulture and Forestry University at Mashbobra,near Shimla. “An immediate effect could be a low growth of stock and poor fruit setting. Moreover bee activity,crucial for apple pollination,is also severely affected.”

Thakur says the weather forecast says there will be a drop in temperature after April 9-10,though the sky will be clear. This is a period when apple orchards go into full bloom and pollination process begins. Farmers will,therefore,need to keep their fingers crossed for the next 15 to 20 days. After that,there could be other issues to contend with — sporadic plant diseases and the arrival of insects,for which early sprays have been recommended.

“All have their fingers crossed,” agrees Gurdev Singh,horticulture director. “The weather has become so uncertain that no one can assess the crop’s prospects. That’s why the department is laying stress on replacement of traditional apple varieties (red royal and delicious) with new weather-resistant varieties such as Gel Gala and Granny Smith. The impact of global warming is being felt in the hills and the apple crop is most vulnerable to weather changes.”

In the Kullu belt,fresh spells of snow rain and hail accompanied by thunderstorms have threatened not only apples but also the pear,cherry and almond crops.

The apple industry contributes greatly to Himachal Pradesh’s economy,with a turnover of Rs 22,000 crore a year and providing livelihood to 15 lakh people. Nearly half the apples come from Shimla’s Jubbal-Kotkhai,Rohru and Upper Shimla belt,where the farmers are also diversifying to new crops such as strawberry,cherry and kiwi.

Horticulture Minister Vidya Stokes,herself an orchardist from the family that brought apples to Himachal Pradesh,agrees it’s time to look beyond tradition. “It’s time for diversification to new fruit varieties and swiftly to weather-resistant apple varieties,” she says. “Every year,the weather shows a change unsuitable to the apple crop. The time is up for traditional apple varieties. Growers must take a call and go for new apple varieties. A shift to post-harvest technologies and creation of apple storage facilities is also the need of the hour.”

In 2010,Himachal Pradesh had a bumper apple crop of more than six crore boxes,but 30 to 35 per cent of it could not reach the market due to bad roads and lack of post=harvest infrastructure. Last year,the crop was only 2.5 crore boxes but it fetched good returns.