Snowfall in Himachal perks up apple crop

Heavy spell of snowfall in the mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh has put an end to the long drought in the hill state, bringing smiles to the faces of farmers and members of the tourism trade.

The snowfall began over the weekend and the intermittent spells continued today in many parts of the state. Shimla on Sunday received the heaviest February snowfall since 1990, said the local weather office.

"The snow is a saviour for the apple and stone fruit orchards as the plants were in dire need of moisture for the last couple of months," said Lekh Raj Chauhan, president of the State Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association.

The mid hills of the state have large tracts of orchards of apple and stone fruits, which include plum, cherry, apricot and peach. The winter snow is crucial for the trees so that they can bear good fruit in summer.

Snow is considered natural manure for apple cultivation. A poor winter last year resulted in 50 per cent drop in apple output to 2.65 lakh tonne from 5.40 lakh tonne two years ago.

"The temperatures are hovering below 5 degree celsius in most of the apple belt of the state, which has the ideal conditions apple cultivation," said S P Bharadwaj, a senior fruit scientist here.

"Rabi and other crops in the state will benefit immensely from this snow. Besides, the glaciers and rivers in the high mountains have also been recharged to some extent," said J C Kuniyal, a senior scientist, at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development.

People connected with the tourism and hotel industry are also enthused with the snowfall across many resort towns of the state. The hotel occupancy has sharply risen in Shimla as the Kalka-Shimla highway remains open for vehicular traffic.