After an all-time high apple crop last year, production could drop by half or more in Himachal Pradesh, say officials and farmers.
The poor crop is being attributed to icy weather in spring which damaged the flowering apple orchards.
The unfavourable weather conditions took a further toll when spells of hail storm struck many parts of the apple belt, causing further damage to the standing crop.
Officials of the horticulture department say according to preliminary estimates, the output this time will be around 20 million boxes, which is half of last year’s record 40 million boxes.
The horticulture department will update its forecast in early July when the harvest starts.The harvest ends in October.
When Business Standard spoke to a cross section of apple farmers they said the production would be much lower at 1.5 million boxes, a third of last year’s production.
Adding to their woes is the poor quality of the fruit, battered by hail storms which will fetch low returns.
Himachal Pradesh accounts for a third of the apple output of the country. Together with neighbouring Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal produces almost the entire apple ouput of the country.
