Transportation of apples challenge for Himachal farmers due to rains

The over Rs 5,000-crore apple industry of Himachal Pradesh is in dire straits as farmers see transportation of the fruit a major challenge amid closure of roads due to heavy rains triggering floods and landslides.

Apple farming generates employment for thousands of labourers and plays a pivotal role in the growth of carton manufacturers and transporters in the state.

Apple is grown in 21 out of 68 assembly segments in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, and Chamba districts as well as in selective pockets of Solan, Sirmaur and Kangra districts.

The closure of roads in the apple growing areas following landslides has taken a toll over early apple variety Tideman and Pear. The crop has already started rotting and the situation is likely to worsen in the next ten days when the plucking season would reach its peak, Fruit Vegetable Flower Growers Association President Harish Chauhan told PTI.

More than 350 roads are still closed as per the state emergency operation centre. A majority (about 60 per cent) of such roads are linked to apple growing areas.

The apple season in the lower belt has already started, however, farmers have stopped plucking the fruit as several link roads are closed, he said.

He further said that this time the crop is less than 50 per cent as compared to the previous year when about 3.50 crore apple boxes were produced, with each box containing 24 kilogramme of fruit.

Moreover, about 8-10 per cent of the agricultural land washed away in floods or damaged due to landslides, he said.

Quality and size of apple was affected due to vagaries of weather like scanty snowfall, thunderstorm and hailstorm and untimely heavy rains. The output almost halved compared to last year and disruption of road network due to landslides has left the growers high and dry, said Sujaat Chauhan, an apple grower.

The outbreak of fungal disease triggered by excessive moisture and foliage has added to the woes of farmers. Rain-related damage is enormous and buses and trucks cannot ply on around 70 per cent of interior routes, said Lokinder Bisht, president of the Progressive Growers Association.

Though machines are deployed to open the roads, there is a lurking fear that the produce might not reach the market on time and rot enroute as the rains continue, he added.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday sanctioned Rs 23 crore for undertaking repair and restoration of road links across the state.

The priority would be given to roads of the apple growing belts so that produce of the growers could be taken to markets well in time, the chief minister said.

Officials said that the work to restore roads is going on war footing but incessant rains are triggering landslides time and again, creating further disruptions.

Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that opening roads in the apple belt is the priority of the state government and directions have been issued to ensure hassle-free transportation of apples.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur who visited Jubbal-Kotkhai and Rohru areas on Sunday said that he would take up the issue of damage to Theog-Hatkoti road, the lifeline of apple belt, with the Union government.

The silver lining is that the growers' demand to sell apples by weight has been accepted by the government and farmers are getting good returns on their crops by selling them in per kilogramme rate. Earlier, selling of the fruit was restricted to per box rate basis.

However, blocked roads are hindering transportation and not many truckers from other states are coming forward due to inclement weather and bad road conditions.