CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh's lucrative Rs 5,000 crore apple industry has been severely impacted this season after relentless monsoon rains wreaked havoc across the state. Farmers are grappling with poor fruit quality, damaged infrastructure, and plummeting market prices, creating one of the toughest harvest seasons in recent years.
Continuous rainfall triggered the outbreak of a fungal disease, which has led to premature leaf and apple drop in orchards across the state. The decline in quality has resulted in a sharp increase in culled apples — fruit unsuitable for sale in the premium market.
Transportation of apples has come to a near standstill in many areas due to landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts that destroyed vital road networks. Apple-growing regions such as Kullu, Kinnaur, Shimla, Mandi, Chamba, and upper Shimla are particularly affected, with hundreds of roads still awaiting repairs.
In several remote areas, farmers have resorted to hiring workers to carry apple boxes manually across broken road stretches to reach collection points.
In Kinnaur, the frequent closure of National Highway 5 at Nigulsari has disrupted supply chains, causing significant delays and losses.
There are scores of villages in Parvati and Banjar valleys where farmers had started harvesting but had to stop midway last month after the road connectivity was lost.
On the other hand, the market rates have dropped to their lowest as the traders are reluctant to buy from local markets in Kullu and Mandi because the Kiratpur-Manali highway remained mostly blocked during the month of August.
Despite these setbacks, apple production has increased this year. As of now, 1.57 crore apple boxes have been marketed within and outside the state — a significant jump from 1.13 crore boxes recorded during the same period last year. The increase of 45 lakh boxes is largely attributed to an exceptional yield in the lower apple belts, where production has been nearly three times higher than in 2024.
However, the rise in quantity has not translated into better returns for farmers. With logistical challenges mounting, traders are reluctant to procure apples from inaccessible regions, pushing market prices to a seasonal low.
As on August 20, this year, over 88 lakh boxes have been marketed as against the around 32.6 lakh boxes marketed during the corresponding period last year.
The harvesting in the lower belts normally ends by August 15.
Speaking to TNIE, Sanyukt Kisan Manch (SKM) Himachal Pradesh, convener Harish Chauhan said that the apple season is at its peak, but due to the road blockade caused by landslides, the apples could not be transported from the orchards to the market and in many instances, the apple crop got rotten lying in the orchards or in the trucks. Now, slowly, the road connectivity is opening up.
"This year's rains appear much worse than the 2023 natural disaster. Moreover, a fungal disease attack has caused apples and leaves to fall prematurely. It is estimated that around 40 per cent of the apples fell in all the orchards across the state and about 60 to 70 per cent leaves fell,’’ he claimed.
Chauhan said that due to the fungal disease and the premature drop, the `A’ grade apples, which cost between Rs 1,500 to Rs 2000 a box in the market, now cost Rs 700 to Rs 800. The apples are now marked in 'B' or 'C' category as stains have appeared on them due to premature fall, diminished size and faded colour.
"Due to all these factors it is estimated that the apple growers might suffer a loss of Rs 800 to Rs 1000 crore,’’ he claimed.
Sources said that around 43,930 MT of apples have been bought under the Market Intervention Scheme until now through 227 collection centres opened in various parts of the apple growing areas. The apples bought through MIS until now are significantly higher compared to the corresponding period last year, when just a little over 15,000 MT apple were procured.
The heavy hail and premature leaf fall are the major reasons behind such a spike in the procurement of culled apples this year.
"Last year, around 2.11 crore boxes of apples this year it was expected to be more than 3 lakh boxes but now it is estimated that around 2.50 to 3 crore boxes.
"Meanwhile, under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) around 43,000 metric tonnes of apples (`C’ and `D’ grade) have been bought and the figure might touch 50,000 MT. These apples are brought by the state government at Rs 12 per Kg and then pulp and juice is taken out and are also auctioned,’’ Chauhan said.
Another leading apple grower, Rakesh Singha, said, "The apple season this year is the historically worst as in early April hailstorms came, and at that time the apple crops blossomed thus it was affected then in May heavy rains started. Also, two fungal diseases: Alternaria and Marssonina attacked the crop, thus the leaves of the fruit did not develop.
"This year's record apple crop has gone into the MIS. On the other hand, the production cost has been very high due to the fact that growers use sprays to save the crop and high transportation charges.’’ While Hemis Negi, Managing Director of Himachal Pradesh State Agriculture Marketing Board (HPAAMB) said that so far at least 1.61 crore boxes have reached the market of these 1.02 crore in Shimla and Kinnaur markets and 23.45 lakh cantons in Solan.
Farmers of Lahaul and Spiti hit by rains
Farmers in Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, have suffered huge losses as exotic vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, bell peppers, iceberg, zucchini, lilium flowers, and cauliflower perished due to heavy rains and road blockages.
Now, with road connectivity restored, farmers in this tribal district are hoping to transport whatever remains of their produce to markets.
The prices of these vegetables have skyrocketed, with consignments being taken to Leh from Lahaul by road and then airlifted to Delhi for further supply.
Farmer Pritam Singh explained that for nearly three weeks, vegetables from Lahaul and Spiti could not be transported due to landslides and blocked roads, which led to total spoilage of the highly perishable produce.
“At one point, the price of broccoli touched Rs 500 per kg. Since farmers here send their produce to Leh for airlifting, it cost them around Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg,” he said.
Singh added that now that road connectivity has been restored, the vegetables are being transported by road.
Peas, broccoli, and potatoes grown in Lahaul and Spiti are known for their high quality and fetch premium prices in national markets. During the crisis, the Lahaul and Spiti administration arranged for the airlifting of some quantities of these exotic vegetables from Leh to Delhi.
However, since only limited quantities were airlifted, farmers still suffered major losses due to the road closure between Keylong and Manali last month. Around 30 tonnes of vegetables were transported via cargo flights from Leh.
Now, with the Manali-Leh highway reopened, farmers have resumed transportation of vegetables via the Atal Tunnel, heading towards Manali and Kullu.
“The vegetables were airlifted only to support farmers during the critical period when their produce was rotting in the fields,” an official said.
