Apple growers’ 2-day conference concludes in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, January 19

As many as 100 apple growers from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand participated in a two-day national conference of the Apple Farmers’ Federation of India (AFFI), which concluded at the Cheema Bhawan here on Friday.

The conference that saw growers discuss various issues affecting the apple economy was inaugurated by All India Kisan Sabha Finance Secretary P Krishnaprasad.

During the conference, the growers unanimously decided to launch intensive campaigns for their pending demands.

Further, the participants expressed support for the ‘Tractor Parade’ scheduled to be carried out on January 26 and Grameen Bandh against “anti-farmer policies” of the Centre on February 16.

Former Himachal MLA Rakesh Singha rued, “Apple growers are badly hit by dwindling prices and withdrawal of state support. The belt is also adversely affected by extreme climatic disturbances, such as hailstorms, which have a severe impact on the healthy prospectus of apple produce.”