 "J&K's loss could be Himachal and Uttarakhand's gain")
The devastating floods in the Kashmir Valley this year could prove to be a gain for the apples of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Senior Jammu and Kashmir government officials told Business Standard that the real picture of the state’s apple crop was yet to be assessed. However, preliminary estimates suggested the loss might be 30 to 70 per cent. “We assume that the loss of the apple crop should be around 30 to 70 per cent, owing to floods in Kashmir,” said Anil Sharma, director of horticulture, Jammu and Kashmir government.
However, Sharma said since connectivity in Kashmir was still wrecked, the department was finding it difficult to assess the real picture of areas such as Sopore, also known as the apple belt of Kashmir.
L P Semwal, director of the Uttarakhand-based Himalayan Fresh Produce Pvt Ltd, said, the prices of apples have already reached Rs 60-65 a kg in the markets of Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and other cities. Himalayan Fresh Produce Pvt Ltd would be procuring 1,500 tonnes of apples in the August-October season this year in Uttarakhand.
The company had expected to sell apples at Rs 50-55 a kg in the market. After the floods, apples prices started shooting up, Semwal said.
Senior Jammu and Kashmir government officials told Business Standard that the real picture of the state’s apple crop was yet to be assessed. However, preliminary estimates suggested the loss might be 30 to 70 per cent. “We assume that the loss of the apple crop should be around 30 to 70 per cent, owing to floods in Kashmir,” said Anil Sharma, director of horticulture, Jammu and Kashmir government.
However, Sharma said since connectivity in Kashmir was still wrecked, the department was finding it difficult to assess the real picture of areas such as Sopore, also known as the apple belt of Kashmir.
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Apples from Kashmir have not reached the market yet. This has led to a spurt in the prices of apples from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Apple companies in the two states are likely to make big profits this season due to the disappearance of the famous Amri and other apple varieties of Kashmir.
L P Semwal, director of the Uttarakhand-based Himalayan Fresh Produce Pvt Ltd, said, the prices of apples have already reached Rs 60-65 a kg in the markets of Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and other cities. Himalayan Fresh Produce Pvt Ltd would be procuring 1,500 tonnes of apples in the August-October season this year in Uttarakhand.
The company had expected to sell apples at Rs 50-55 a kg in the market. After the floods, apples prices started shooting up, Semwal said.