Foreign varieties take root to push up Himachal’s apple economy
SHIMLA: Apart from keeping doctors away, high yielding foreign varieties of apple are bringing in profits for the horticulture sector more than a century after an American missionary introduced high quality varieties in the Kotgarh-Thanedar belt of upper Shimla in the early 1920s.
Samuel Evans Stokes Jr, who later changed his name to Satyanand Stokes, began to cultivate apples in 1916 on a piece of farmland in Barubagh village of Kotgarh, also known as the “apple bowl of the state”. He introduced the American Royal Delicious to the state, which farmers in other districts adopted later.
Apple cultivation, the mainstay 1.7 lakh families, includes high yield varieties from foreign countries, now being adopted by private as well as government nurseries.
“So far only 20% of the fruit growers have adopted foreign varieties but in the years to come these varieties will enhance apple production in the state,” says director horticulture MM Verma. As many as 450 cultivars ( plants propagated through stem cuttings, not via seeds) of apple collected from all over the world, a majority from the United States (US), Italy, China and New Zealand, are grown in seven districts of the state, including , Shimla, Kullu, Sirmaur, Chamba , Mandi, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti.
Apart from Royal Delicious, the other widely-grown varieties are Rich-A-Red, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.
For the last one decade, apple growers have also been gradually replacing older varieties with foreign plants. In the lower heights between 4,500 to 6,500 feet above sea level, the popular choice of orchard owners is Scarlet Spur-two, an improved variety of Red Delicious that was first grown in Washington in 1980. Jeromine from Italy, in demand because of its good quality and intense red blush, is being grown in orchards in the lower elevations, which are suitable for its growth and colours.
Other varieties in demand include the Super Chief, Red Velox and Scarlet Spur, all from the US while the new imported pollinator varieties include the Gale Gala, Gibson Golden, Red Lum Gala and Decarli Gala.
“We are growing different varieties in our nursery. Red Velox and the Jeromine are always in high demand” says Pratap Chuahan owner of Adam Nurseries in Kotkhai tehsil, Shimla district . “Good fruit size of the Jeromine fetches double the prices of the traditional royal and red varieties with a 20kg box sold for ₹1,500 to ₹3,000,” he said. Demand for Gala Wall, Gala Schiga Schnico Red was also rising, with Gala varieties priced at ₹3,000 to ₹3,500,” he added In higher altitudes of 6,500 to 8,000 feet above sea level, varieties being grown included Ace Spur, Semi Spur, Oregon Spur, Washington Spur (early red), Scarlet Gala, Granny Smith, Pink Lady Brookfield Gala, and Bucky Gala. Apples make up 49% of the total area under fruit crops and 74% of the total fruit production.
Area under apple cultivation increased from 400 hectares in 1950-51 to 13,154 hectares in 2018-2019; nearly 5% of the total gross domestic product of the state. Pegged at ₹3,200 crore in 2012, it grew to ₹4,800 crore in 2020.
Even as the global slowdown brought down the state’s growth rate to 5.6% in comparison to 7.1% in 2018-2019, a bountiful apple harvest helped the state economy.
Horticulture production was 42% higher than the previous year, leading to a 6.6% rise in the state’s per capita income, according to the state’s economic survey tabled last week in the Vidhan Sabha by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who also holds the finance portfolio.