Due to excessive rains and late snowfall, Himachal Pradesh’s apple crop yield is expected to plummet by 50% this year. Furthermore, even if agricultural prices increase by 30 to 60%, crop quality is likely to suffer. According to sources, apple production this year is expected to be between 1.5 and 2 crore boxes, down from 3.36 crore boxes last year. Apple output has been about three crore boxes every year for the past four years.
Since 2010, when the highest ever production level in the hill state’s history was over four crore boxes, production has slipped below two crore boxes only three times: in 2011, 2012, and 2018. Harish Chauhan, convener of Sanyukt Kisan Manch, told this newspaper, “The average production is around 5 to 7 MT of apples per year.”
This year’s apple output has decreased due to weather changes such as strong rains, hailstorms, cloudbursts, and late snowfall. Despite the fact that crop area has expanded from 1,01,485 hectares in 2010 to 1,14,646 hectares in 2020,” he stated. Manch noted that government agencies must examine shifting weather patterns and their influence on apples, as well as utilise appropriate technology to reduce the impact of poor climate conditions on apple production. This year’s apple quality is also anticipated to suffer as a result of the bad weather. However, the crop’s prices are likely to rise.
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