Cheap apples flood north India markets

Prices of apples have plummeted across markets in northern India because of the glut that followed the end of the truckers' strike. The week-long strike had paralysed supply, say farmers.

"I have spoken to commission agents in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Kolkata. They say prices of apples have dropped considerably over the two days after the strike was called off," said Devinder Shayam, Chairman of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee, today.

"About 1,500 trucks, blocked during the past week, have reached or are on way to various centres today, and we hope prices will find their level," Shayam told Business Standard.

Farmers feel the glut caused by the strike should clear in a couple of days and the market will stabilise. But also, there are apprehensions that the prices will remain low for about 14 days, causing losses to Himachal growers.

"In Delhi, the prices of apples of the best quality dropped from Rs 700 to Rs 500 per box, since Saturday, and can drop further due to big supplies," Shayam said, adding, "the strategy in the Delhi market, which determines the prices of apples in the rest of the country, has been to keep prices low for two weeks after a glut. This is unfair, because we see no reason why prices should not stabilise in two or three days."

Officials have said currently 82 lakh boxes (each box weighs around 20 kg) have been packaged and marketed so far, and the total production is expected to be around 2 crore boxes, besides 10 per cent of the production being sold in gunny bags before the harvest ends in early October.

Himachal Pradesh, along with Jammu & Kashmir, accounts for almost the entire apple of the country.