Bumper harvest in Jammu & Kashmir keeps apple prices low

CHANDIGARH: The wholesale prices of apple have softened across major mandis this week with a spike in supply from Jammu & Kashmir where harvest is at its peak.

Around half of the expected 20-21 lakh tonnes of apple from the valley has arrived at the markets and the supply will continue as the harvest season will extend till last week of December.

Wholesale prices for the premium quality have come down to Rs 50-55 per kilogram from Rs 60-65 a kg last week. Apple prices had strengthened in the beginning of October as terror strikes and security enhancement had affected supply to markets. The apple market remained subdued for most part of August and September due to floods and heavy rain in central and southern states.


“The arrival of apple from Kashmir so far is more than the last year and around 3,00-4,00 trucks are reaching the Azadpur mandi every day,” said Mehta Ram Kriplani, president of the Azadpur Chamber of Fruits and Vegetables Association. He said the arrival of the fruit is delayed by a day because of transportation glitches.

“Even though demand is up due to the festive season, the glut in supply has surpassed the daily demand and decreased prices,” an Amritsar-based apple trader said.

To salvage the crop from turmoil in the valley, the government steeped in to purchase apples. The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) had upwardly revised the rates of grade A, B and C apples to Rs 60, Rs 44 and Rs 24 per kg, from Rs 54, Rs 38 and Rs 16-4, respectively.

The government rates, however, sustained the market and evaded a price crash. “We have bought around 3,000 tonnes of apple and the procurement is set to increase in the coming days,” Nafed executive director Kamlendra Srivastava told ET. He said that the agency is picking up the commodity from four mandis in apple-producing districts.

While the arrival has been slow for government procurement, the bulk of the produce is going to private traders in and outside the state. “Even though 45-50% of the crop has been sold, government procurement has been low due to quality standards,” an official of the Jammu & Kashmir Agricultural Marketing Board said.

“Farmers prefer to sell to private traders to retain their age-old business relations as they avail advance payments from them,” said Vijay Gupta, joint deputy director at the Jammu & Kashmir horticulture department. He said that both private purchase and government procurement are set to rise as harvest peaks.