Full basket on the way

The last two seasons have brought farmers a low harvest,though those in the higher mountains have reaped high-quality apples,with prices in markets such as Delhi and Mumbai going up to Rs 2,400 per box of the best ones.

Some of the superior grades of apples such as royal delicious,red chief,super chief,Oregon spur and scarlet spur are expected to start reaching the markets either by the end of this month or in August.

“We may not get the best size as the produce is going to be high,” says Prakash Thakur,a grower and member of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. “The rates will be more or less good and the market stable. The administration will have to play a major role in keeping the apples in good condition.”

Factors that have contributed to the season’s good crop include good snowfall and cold temperatures. Snow is the best nutrient for a good apple crop. Last year,much of the damage to the crop was caused by low snowfall and hailstorms that wiped out the produce at the fag end of its maturity in some pockets of the Shimla belt such as Baghi,Rohru,Narkanda,Chopal and Thanedar.

The biggest damage,however,was caused by the condition of Theog-Hatkoti Road. “Luckily,the Congress government after returning to power focused all its attention on this road,” says Vidya Stokes,horticulture minister and a pioneering apple producer herself. “The road is of high economic importance for the apple’s movement during the season. There has been a remarkable change in the condition of the road between then and now.”

The district administration plays a key role in making trucks available and maintaining the roads. More than 5,000 truckloads are likely to move out of Shimla district and the trucks have already been arranged for.

“There will be a central control room near Theog while two sub-control rooms will function round the clock between July 15 to September 30. Truck drivers will be issued identity cards. GPS will be installed in a few trucks on a pilot basis to monitor their movements,the possible theft of apples,and the possible disappearance of apple-laden vehicles on the way to Delhi and other markets such as Mumbai,Gujarat or Chennai — incidents quite common earlier,” says Dinesh Malhotra,Shimla’s deputy commissioner.

For the first time,closed circut cameras will be installed at strategic locations including Khara-Pathar and Hatkoti to monitor the movement of the trucks,and help them avoid traffic jams. Roads will be kept fully open and men will be stationed every 15 to 15 km in the apple belt.

Upper Shimla areas account for 80 per cent of the total apple production along with districts such as Kullu,Mandi,Sirmaur,Chamba and Solan. The entry of private buyers,half a dozen corporate houses such as Adani group,has helped leading apple producers sell their produce at the farm gates.

Modern gadgets have been introduced for packing and grading apples,helping make up for the shortage of labour in the Rs-2,500-crore fruit market.