Struggling due to labour shortage, Himachal apple growers demand higher MSP
SHIMLA: Himachal orchardists are dealing with shortage of labour amid the apple harvesting season. Anticipating losses, they have asked the state government to increase the minimum support price (MSP).
The apple season is scheduled to begin in a week but the orchardists are still scrambling to arrange manpower to help harvest and pack the fruit. For decades, the fruit growers have been dependent on the services of Nepalese labourers. This year, the labour could not return to the hill-state in the wake of the pandemic.
The Nepalese labourers have been the backbone of the state’s ₹4,500-crore apple economy. They help with digging pits, planting saplings, spraying chemicals, plucking, packing and transportation.
Representatives of the Federation of Apple Growers Societies (FAGS) conglomerate of different fruit grower associations had recently met chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and apprised him of their difficulties.
‘70% CROP MAY ROT’
FAGS convener Rajeev Chauhan said, “If the state government fails to provide labour, 70% of the crop will rot in the orchards. The government has told orchardists that it will not be able to provide labour and they must make their own arrangements.”
The apple growers’ association had asked the government to approach the Nepalese government through the ministry of external affairs to allow Nepalese labour to travel to Himachal Pradesh for harvesting apples. They had also urged the horticulture minister to arrange labour from Bihar, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Chauhan said the government should buy apple crop under the MSP scheme instead of the market intervention scheme (MIS) during these difficult times.
“The MSP for apple should be at least ₹20 per kilogram as the apple production cost comes around ₹15 per kg,” he said.
Chauhan said that the government had increased the
MSP by only 50 paise per kg to ₹8.5 per kg, which was not sufficient. “There has been a sudden 30% increase in the prices of trays used for packing apples,” Chauhan said, adding that agriculture minister Ramlal Markanda has assured them that he will look into the matter.