Lockdown, rain, animal attack: Triple whammy for HP apple growers
SHIMLA : The Rs4,000 crore apple economy is facing multiple challenges during the Covid-19 lockdown with untimely rain and hailstorms damaging trees, birds and animals damaging crops and non-availability of labour and fruit packaging material.
Hail and rain in the last two weeks battered orchards in the major apple growing regions of Shimla, Kullu and Mandi district, damaging apples, cherries, pears, plums and almonds. Areas where the impact was severe included Rohru, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rampur, Kullu and Nirmand, with calls growing louder from growers for loan waivers.
“Hailstones were the size of walnuts and caused immense damage,” said Hari Singh Thakur, an apple grower in Nirmand.
ANIMALS, BIRDS IN ORCHARDS
Restricted human activity during the lockdown has also led to birds, especially pigeons or harials and bats, picking at fruits and damaging them.
“With no one to guard my orchards, birds and other animals are feasting on the crops,” said Bhagat Singh Thakur, a fruit grower in Brasli village located near Rohru Bazar.
TRANSPORTATION AND LABOUR WOES
Harvesting, packaging and transportation of apple was mainly dependent upon migratory labour force from Nepal and some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states, but travel restrictions and safety protocols by the government during the lockdown affected movement. More than one lakh Neplaese labourers, the backbone of the apple economy who came into Himachal Pradesh during the apple harvest season that commenced by mid-june in the lower heights and culminated in the higher regions by the end of October end, were unable to enter India. “We are extremely worried as these labourers will not come to the state.
This will cause problems during the harvest and transportation of apple and we fear the fruits will rot in trees and orchards,” says Lokinder Singh Bisht, president of the Progressive Apple Growers.
The growers had made several representations to the government and hoped steps would be taken soon to help them
Fruit growers were also concerned about unavailability of packaging material and increase in the prices of packing trays by around Rs 80 to Rs 150, as manufacturers claimed they had been hit by shortage of raw material.
Urging CM Jai Ram Thakur and horticulture minister Mahender Singh Thakur to intervene and regulate the prices of trays, Bisht said,
“We also request the horticulture minister to chalk out a plan for procurement of all grades of apple with government agencies and private parties like Reliance Fresh, Adani Agri Fresh or Big Basket so that the state economy is saved from ruin.”
Growers also demanded that the government facilitate hiring of private storage facilities in and outside the state to store produce and sell it later.