Lower crop may upset the apple cart

SHIMLA: The law of averages has finally caught up with the apple crop of Himachal Pradesh. After bumper crops for the last four consecutive years, the production of crop for ‘06 is expected to plummet. Last year the total apple production of the state was a record breaking 5.4 lakh metric tonne equivalent to around 2.4 crore boxes.

This year the production is expected to be only half of the previous mark. There isn’t a single factor behind this steep fall but the main reason is inadequate snowfall during winters.

According to state horticulture minister Vidya Stokes: “We have had good snowfalls in the last three-four years. This contributed to Himachal producing a successful apple crop regularly. But this year, the snow hasn’t been very good.”

Apple growers refer to snow as ‘white manure’. The apple harvest season starts in July and ends in October. The trees shed their leaves during winters and during this time, chilling by snow is very important for their replenishment.

But inadequate snowfall this year did not end the woes. As Sanjay Bhalaik, an orchard owner from Kotgarh says, “A lacklustre winter was followed by an erratic spring, when unexpected showers and hail storms wreaked havoc with our crop.”

Spring season is vital as this is the time for pollination. Overcast skies and frequent showers restrict the movement of honeybees and other agents of pollination. Moreover, with several orchard owners now keen on exports, several varieties of apple, which were known to assist in pollination, have been ignored. These include varieties like ‘Spartan’ and ‘Golden delicious’ which have been neglected for ‘Royal delicious’ and ‘Richie Red’ which are in greater demand in abroad.

At an estimated worth of close to Rs 1,000 crore, apple is the most important crop Himachal Pradesh. It is grown in nine of the total 12 districts of the state. Of late, there have been reports that global warming is adversely affecting the apple cultivation in the state.

Experts point to lower snowfall as prime evidence. This is especially true of apple belts located in the lower regions. Mandi (Karsog belt) and Solan are two of the lower apple cultivation belts of the state.

The amount of snowfall has decreased drastically in these two districts. This has resulted in declining apple yield and some farmers have been forced to switch over to other cash crops.