HP has outdated apple processing facilities: CAG

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State Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corp is using worn out machinery and its unscientific collection often deteriorates the quality of fruits.

CAG REPORT

SHIMLA: The state-run Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corp (HPMC), which is mainly into marketing apple juice concentrate, is using worn out machinery and its unscientific collection often deteriorates the quality of fruits.

This fact came to light in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in the state assembly last week.

The spoilage in fruit processing plants ranged between 1.73 and 8.50%, which is worth ₹27.35 lakh, from 2014 to 2017, which is a burden on the HPMC, it said.

The HPMC management admitted to the CAG that fruits were collected in an unscientific manner and also delays in transportation to processing plants result in deterioration of the quality of fruits.

The public sector undertaking procures the apples directly from farmers and produces juice concentrate that is used for fruit juices, nectars and drinks.

Companies that regularly buy apple concentrate from the HPMC are Parle Agro, Godrej Industries, Nestle, and Mohan Meakin Ltd.

The HPMC, which is facing tough competition from China in the apple juice concentrate market, incurred a loss of ₹2.61 crore on the implementation of market intervention scheme due to, among others, the low yield of concentrate, apple juice, and apple spoilage.

Every year it also procures citrus fruits like kinnow and galgal through the market intervention scheme.