High apple prices keeping pvt cos at bay in Himachal
Even after the start of fresh arrival of apple crop in Himachal Pradesh the procurement of the fruit has not picked up due to higher price this season.
By Madhvi Sally, ET Bureau |
CHANDIGARH: Even after the start of fresh arrival of apple crop in Himachal Pradesh the procurement of the fruit has not picked up due to higher price this season. The private procurement companies like Container Corporation of India (Concor) and Adani Agri Fresh are just adopting a wait and watch policy, as they beleive the present price of Rs 70-100 per kg is totally ���speculative driven��� , whereas, the farmer associations in the state are justifying the price hike considering that the fall in the arrivals of the crop this year.
Meanwhile, Delhi-based Dev Bhumi Cold Chain has begun procurement of royal delicious apples from the Thanedar area in Himachal pradesh to supply its immediate sale. ���We are currently procuring apple from farmer gate at Rs 60-65 per kg,��� company director, Anil Dwivedi, said.
We expect price to fall to Rs 50 per kg in a fortnight.���The company will procure 5,000 tonne from the previous year purchase of 1,000 tonne from the state. In addition the company will be procuring 2,000 tonne from Srinagar.
Terming it as a totally unnecessary hype by farmers and traders, he said that the prices are not sustainable at all as the quality of apple is poor at this stage.
���Traders are speculating a lot of change,���said Fresh and Healthy Enterprise, a subsidiary of Concor, CEO N K Jawa while speaking to ET. The company is planning to procure nearly 10,000 tonne of apple this year from Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. The company had procur apple from Shimla at the rate of Rs 32 a kg and at the rate of Rs 35-45 a kg from Kinnaur last year.���We will fix the rate in a week time and will start procurement soon,���said Mr Jawa. Similarly, the retail brand of Adani Agrifresh, ���Farm Pick��� procured apples from Shimla at the rate of Rs 29-32 per kg and from Kinnaur at Rs 35-45 per kg in 2008.
���If the ���madness��� continues then exporters will start flooding the market with imported apple from Washington, Chile , New Zealand and China, which are currently ruling the same price as domestic apples,��� said Adani Agrifresh, vicepresident , Shrinivas Ramanujam.
Meanwhile, Delhi-based Dev Bhumi Cold Chain has begun procurement of royal delicious apples from the Thanedar area in Himachal pradesh to supply its immediate sale. ���We are currently procuring apple from farmer gate at Rs 60-65 per kg,��� company director, Anil Dwivedi, said.
We expect price to fall to Rs 50 per kg in a fortnight.���The company will procure 5,000 tonne from the previous year purchase of 1,000 tonne from the state. In addition the company will be procuring 2,000 tonne from Srinagar.
Terming it as a totally unnecessary hype by farmers and traders, he said that the prices are not sustainable at all as the quality of apple is poor at this stage.
���Traders are speculating a lot of change,���said Fresh and Healthy Enterprise, a subsidiary of Concor, CEO N K Jawa while speaking to ET. The company is planning to procure nearly 10,000 tonne of apple this year from Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. The company had procur apple from Shimla at the rate of Rs 32 a kg and at the rate of Rs 35-45 a kg from Kinnaur last year.���We will fix the rate in a week time and will start procurement soon,���said Mr Jawa. Similarly, the retail brand of Adani Agrifresh, ���Farm Pick��� procured apples from Shimla at the rate of Rs 29-32 per kg and from Kinnaur at Rs 35-45 per kg in 2008.
���If the ���madness��� continues then exporters will start flooding the market with imported apple from Washington, Chile , New Zealand and China, which are currently ruling the same price as domestic apples,��� said Adani Agrifresh, vicepresident , Shrinivas Ramanujam.
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���As the apple had to be stored for long duration, so they were waiting for the right quality and quantity to arrive,��� he added. The company would be procuring 25,000 tonne from Shimla and Kinnaur belt 5,000 from Shopian belt of Jammu and Kashmir. Download
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