CHANDIGARH: The Himachal Pradesh government has procured more than 8,000 metric tonnes (MT) of apples under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), while over 17,000 farmers have registered on the HPMIS portal.
Procurement began on August 1 through 213 Apple Collection Centres (ACCs) operated by HPMC and HIMFED and will continue till October 31.
Apple is the state's major fruit crop, accounting for around 80 per cent of total fruit production and nearly 50 per cent of the area under fruit crops. Himachal Pradesh is the country's second-largest apple-producing state, contributing about 22 per cent of national apple production. Shimla is the largest apple-producing district, followed by Kullu, Kinnaur and Mandi.
This season, the state has fully digitised MIS operations through HPMIS. The portal covers farmer registration, procurement, digital receipts, transportation, processing, monitoring and payment.
Farmer registration has been made mandatory as a one-time exercise through the HPMIS mobile app, Common Service Centres, Lok Mitra Kendras or Gram Panchayats.
Under the new system, farmers deposit apples at designated collection centres, where the quantity is recorded digitally and a receipt is generated through HPMIS. The receipt is sent to the farmer's registered mobile number, and eligible payments are transferred directly to the registered bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), subject to verification and scheme conditions.
The digitised system also enables real-time monitoring of procurement, transportation and processing of apples at HPMC processing plants in Parala, Parwanoo and Jadol. Digital receipts, challans, reports and registers have been introduced to streamline the procurement process.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state government has prioritised protecting the interests of apple growers and strengthening the horticulture sector.
He said the Market Intervention Scheme provides support to growers during periods of market glut, facilitates value addition and helps regulate the arrival of low-grade apples in the open market.
Sukhu said digitising MIS for the 2026-27 season is an important step towards making the scheme more transparent, accountable and farmer-friendly. He urged apple growers to register on HPMIS, use designated Apple Collection Centres and keep their mobile numbers and bank account details updated to receive scheme benefits.