Himachal apple growers decry losses, demand immediate solution
Industrial units in Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh, Parwanoo, Poanta Sahib too affected
SHIMLA: The ongoing strike by truck drivers has impacted vegetable and fruit (especially apple) transportation in Himachal Pradesh. It has also led to slow harvesting of apple. Moreover, the strike has also hit industries at Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh belt.
“Prior to the strike, around 15,000 apple boxes arrived daily at Dhalli mandi, the main fruit market in Shimla. Nowadays, only 7,000 boxes are reaching the market. We are facing difficulty in transportation apples to Delhi. A day before, the truck unions had deflated tyres of all tucks on the Delhi border,” said Pratap Chauhan, a fruit merchant at Dhalli sabzi mandi.
President of Progressive Apple Growers, Lokinder Singh said, “There is slow down in harvest of apple as farmers fear huge losses if the strike continues for a longer time.”
“The truckers have threatened to go on chakka jam. If that happens, we will bear huge losses as there are not many cold storage facilities in state,” said Bhagat Singh Thakur, an apple grower from Brasli village in Rohru sub-division.
PRICE-WISE IMPACT
Presently, a high quality apple box weighing 22.5kg is being sold at ₹2,500 while other varieties apples are being sold for ₹2,000 per box.
The state horticulture department projected 2.18 crore apple boxes, much lower than the average 2.50 crore boxes.
The apple production in Himachal Pradesh has been erratic over the last five years. In 2017-18, the apple production was 2.23 crore boxes.
The ₹45,000crore apple economy is the mainstay for farmers in Shimla, Kullu and Kinnaur districts.
INDUSTRIES TOO HIT
The industrial sector in Himachal Pradesh too is hit by the truckers’ strike as industries in Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh, Parwanoo and Poanta Sahib have incurred heavy losses, said IMJS Sidhu, president of Confederation of Indian Industries, “It’s high time the government intervenes to end the strike otherwise the industries is looking at a loss of over ₹200 crore a day,” he added.