Rs 44 cr increase in apple trade in Solan APMC over a year

The use of universal cartons for packaging apples appears to have increased apple trade this season in Solan with trade worth Rs 243 crore already having been done as against Rs 199 crore executed last year till September 23.

The universal carton can carry 20-22 kg of fruit instead of the earlier used telescopic cartons, which could carry up to 35-36 kg. The growers faced exploitation as they were paid merely for the 20-22 kg fruit .

Sales spiralling

• Trade worth ~243 cr already done against ~199 cr last year till Sept 23
• 27.24 lakh boxes were sold this season vis-à-vis 18.45 lakh boxes sold in the corresponding period last year in Solan
• 17.09 lakh boxes were sold from the terminal market at Parwanoo, the same market barely sold 9.87 lakh boxes last year during this period

The apple trade, which registered a business worth Rs 130 crore in 2017, touched Rs 150 crore in 2021. A one per cent market fee is earned by the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) from the apple trade. An increase of Rs 44 crore has already been recorded this season. As many as 27.24 lakh boxes have been sold this season vis-à-vis 18.45 lakh boxes sold in the corresponding period last year in Solan.

The trade picked up after a delayed start on August 15 with 8.79 lakh more boxes having been sold this year vis-à-vis last year uptill now, reflecting the growing acceptance of universal cartons and a sizable increase in the income.

Though the growers initially resisted their use owing to quality issues when they were newly introduced, their fears were soon allayed with multiple packaging firms providing quality material, said an apple trader Vipin Chauhan.

Figures secured from the APMC at Solan revealed that as many as 17.09 lakh boxes were sold from the terminal market at Parwanoo which was emerging as the favourite destination for selling apple produce by growers. The same market barely sold 9.87 lakh boxes last year during this period.

The apple mandi in Solan which was earlier the major activity centre of apple trading in the district has been able to trade 10.15 lakh boxes this season till September 23 as against 8.57 lakh boxes sold last year during this period.

Solan APMC Secretary Dr Ravinder Sharma said the growers’ price for various varieties of apples was also slightly higher and it lay in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 210 per kg as against Rs 190 to Rs 200 per kg available during this period last year.

Amid the rising trade, a licensee Nisha Chauhan complained that she had not been allotted any space to work despite being a registered licensee since last year. She alleged that some licensees were deliberating stalling her grant of space. APMC secretary Dr Ravinder Sharma, when quizzed, said a list of licensees who are not working was being taken from the field and she would soon be allotted her space to operate.