Move over Alphonso, Kinnauri apple is king of fruits this year

KOLKATA: Alphonso, the king of fruits, has not pinched your pocket this year but Kinnauri apple from Himachal Pradesh sure will. A kg of Kinnauri apple costs Rs 200 now and there would be no respite in the coming months too. Growers and traders say prices of fresh Kinnaur apples which will hit the market in September will remain firm because flash floods in mid-June have damaged the apple crop and halved production.


"Traders are now offloading Kinnauri apples kept in cold storages. So they are asking for higher prices. But prices will remain high as growers expect that only 10 lakh boxes (of 200 kg each) will be produced this year compared to 20-25 lakh boxes in previous years. A kg of Kinnaur apple had fetched 110 in the previous year. This year, it is expected to touch Rs 150 -160 per kg. Prices may further go northward depending upon the demand. Corporates, hotels and malls are some of the biggest buyers of Kinnauri apples," said Ravinder Chauhan, president of Himachal Pradesh-based Apple Growers Association of India.

Apples from Kinnaur, known for their natural sweetness, colour, succulence and prolonged shelf life, are grown at an altitude of over 10,000 feet. Among the popular varieties of Kinnauri apples are Royal, Golden, Red Golden, Red Delicious and Scarlet Spur. Major apple belts in Kinnaur district are in Sangla and Pooh blocks which have been worst affected due to flash floods.

Apple crops in Uttarakhand have been completely wiped out due to flash floods and cloudburst.

The mountainous state used to produce 5 lakh boxes (of 20 kg each) of apples which were consumed locally.

Traders say the absence of this crop will put pressure on prices in the coming months. The plucking season in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand begins in July end and the crop hits the market in August. Kinnauri apples hit the market in mid-September when other apple varieties have already flooded the market. While other apples have a shelf life of two months, the Kinnaur fruits have a shelf life of four months.

Mukesh Jaiswal, owner of Rakesh Jaiswal Fruit in Mumbai's Worli area, said: "Prices of apple have already climbed by 25%-30% this year. We are hearing that production in Kinnaur has been affected though other regions of Himachal have recorded a bumper crop. But going by the trend, prices are likely to remain firm for quality apple this year."

In Kolkata, prices of quality apple which traders say have come from Shimla cost Rs 170-180 per kg. "We do not see prices falling immediately. The Ramadan month is beginning tomorrow and apple prices surely will remain firm for the next one month," said Mohammed Irshad, a fruit dealer in Kolkata's Chandni Chowk fruit market. Added Jagdish Sharma, a fruit trader in Azapur mandi, said "There are reports that heavy to moderate rains have again lashed Himachal. If that affects the apple crop, prices will continue to remain on the higher side this year."

Apples are largely grown in the districts of Shimla, Sirmour, Kinnaur, Chamba, Manali, Solan and Kullu districts of Himachal. "Barring Kinnaur, apple production is extremely good this year. In fact, it has doubed this year. We are expecting a production of 3 crore boxes (20 kg each) of apples this year," said Chauhan.

In Jammu & Kashmir, production has been good. Manzoor Ahmed Shah, who owns Pravez Fruit Company, in the Charar-e-Sharif area of Srinagar, said "Production has been around 18 lakh tonne which is quite encouraging. We do not see a sudden price hike unless there is a huge demand."