Asia’s peach valley suffers labour pangs

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 7

Stone fruit growers of Asia’s peach valley of Rajgarh are a worried lot as there are no migrants to pluck and pack the fruit. Being a perishable commodity, the fruits are supposed to reach the markets a day after the packing.

Vivek Sharma, who has a 29-bigha orchard at Matnali village in Rajgarh, said plum and apricot would be ready to be harvested soon and the absence of the labour had become a cause for concern. “Contractors, who buy orchards, come from Saharanpur every year and bring along labourers to pluck, pack and market the fruits,” he said,

Orchardists are also apprehensive that their produce will fetch less price in the market like cauliflower and pea which were sold at throwaway prices in the local markets.

Rupinder Singh, another grower from Daro Devriya village, said, “Our immediate worry is how to pluck and pack apricots which will mature in a few days. Cartons are not available despite making enquiries from Oachghat, Parwanoo and Kala Amb-based packaging firms and it appears growers will incur losses.”

He said the government should help them by arranging cartons as well as marketing facilities.

DC, Sirmaur, RK Pruthi, said the administration was aware of the problem and block-level officials of the Horticulture Department had been directed to train local labourers as well as those engaged under MGNREGA for plucking and packaging of the stone fruits.

“Some packaging material has been arranged by growers on their own and officials have been directed to help them in meeting the shortage,” said he.

As much as 3,500 MT of plum is grown over 1,528.75 hectares while apricot accounts for 1,200 MT annually over 686.48 hectares in Sirmaur district.