Markets sluggish, apple growers disappointed

“I have started feeling that I made a wrong decision in choosing apple cultivation over some job. Given the way things are at the moment, the future looks bleak for apple growers,” says a young apple grower from Baghi, one of the major apple growing areas in Shimla district. And he’s not alone who has become fearful about the future of apple cultivation – many others have been voicing concerns about the sustainability of apple cultivation in the face of heavy import of apple and rising cost of production.

While these bigger challenges remain unaddressed, the current reason for disappointment among the apple growers is the sluggishness in the market for over two weeks now. “The average price at the moment is between Rs 800-1,600 in the market. The prices have gone down as a steady supply of apple has started from Kashmir now,” said Pawan Saini, secretary, APMC Shimla, and Kinnaur.

“It’s the price we used to get 15-20 years back. And in the last few years, the cost of production has increased three to four times. How are people dependent on apple cultivation for their livelihood going to sustain themselves?” asked Ashutosh Chauhan, a progressive grower from the Baghi area.

According to apple growers, the average cost of production per box has reached around Rs 600-700. “At current prices, the growers are getting an average price of around Rs 1,100-1,200 per box. I’ve been growing apple since 1998 but I’ve never seen such poor prices offered for premium quality apple,” said Dimple Panjta, president of the Himalayan Society for Horticulture and Agriculture Development.

The growers point out that apple boxes were bought for Rs 2,500-3,500 till mid-August and now the premium quality apple was not fetching even half of that price. “We understand markets run on demand and supply. But how could such extreme fluctuations be allowed?” asked a grower. For many growers, manipulative market forces are as much responsible for poor prices as the principle of demand and supply.

“The high-altitude apple, which hits market in September, is suitable for storage. Markets are manipulated to buy this high-quality apple at lowest possible prices for storage, and later it is sold for a good profit,” said another grower.

Harish Chauhan, convener of Sanyukt Kisan Manch, said the successive governments and its agencies had not done anything on the marketing front to ensure good prices for the growers. “The production is on the lower side this time, yet the growers are not getting remunerative prices,” said Chauhan. “If the government fails to put in place a good marketing strategy, the future of apple, especially in higher altitudes, looks bleak,” he added.

Lokinder Bisht, president of Progressive Growers Association, feels the apple cultivation, especially at altitude above 7,500 feet, will not survive if cheap imports are not checked. “If the imported apple is available at Rs 50-60 round the year, the local growers simply can’t compete, neither in the running season nor by storing apple. The minimum import price on apple needs to be doubled from the existing Rs 50 to Rs 100 per kg to help local growers survive,” said Bisht.