Govt urged to check spread of apple scab

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 18

The Himachal Kisan Sabha has expressed concern over the spread of scab disease in apple orchards. It has urged the government to send teams of specialists to the affected areas to check the disease and also provide fungicides and insecticides at subsidised rates to the orchardists.

Sanjay Chauhan, finance secretary of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, said here today, “About 60 per cent orchards in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur and Chamba have been infected with scab and in case immediate steps are not taken, the Rs 4,500-crore apple economy will be ruined”. Chauhan is a former Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation. He warned that a 1982-like situation could emerge when scab had infected the apple orchards. He said that the Kisan Sabha would hold demonstrations at the block level from June 20.

Chauhan alleged that fungicides and other inputs for spray were not available with the Horticulture Department and subsidy for fungicides was stopped two years ago. Small orchardists were unable to save plants from diseases, he added.