80,000 MT grade 'C' apples procured in Himachal, highest in 12 yrs
Subhash Rajta
Shimla, October 21
The HPMC and HIMFED have already procured over 80,000 metric tonne grade ‘C’ apple under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) this year, the highest in the last 12 years. While the HPMC has procured 39,000 MT, HIMFED has procured around 41,000 MT.
73,000 MT bought last year
- “The total procurement has crossed 80,000 MT and we are expecting around 2,000 MT more,” said an HPMC official.
- HPMC and HIMFED had procured around 73,000 MT apples last year, which was a record procurement since 2010.
“The total procurement has crossed 80,000 MT and we are expecting around 2,000 MT more,” said an HPMC official.
The two agencies had procured around 73,000 MT apple last year, which was a record procurement since 2010.
The huge procurement under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) this season is somewhat surprising as the year witnessed much less hailstorm compared to the last year. Mostly, the produce damaged in hailstorm is sold under the MIS scheme. “There was not much hailstorm this year but a big chunk of the produce remained under-sized. And that’s the reason for the spurt in the MIS procurement,” said an HPMC official.
Besides, the premature leaf fall led to the dropping of fruit in a large quantity as the season progressed, and this apple, too, was diverted to MIS.
Both the apple growers and the procurement agencies are reeling under the problem of plenty this year. While the growers get merely Rs 10.5 per kg for grade ‘C’ apple under the MIS scheme, the procuring agency, particularly Himfed, are struggling to sell this apple further.
“There are no buyers, they have left for home for Diwali. There are several loaded trucks awaiting buyers in Parwanoo,” said the HPMC officials.
“Also, we are struggling to sell the apple to the buyers at the assumed sale price of Rs 3.50 fixed by the government. Our average sale price is hardly around Rs 2. As a result, we have already run up losses of over Rs 1 crore. This difference in the assumed sale price and actual sale price will wreck the financial position of both Himfed and the HPMC,” the official said.
Horticulture experts feel that the government needs to open up several small processing units in the apple growing areas to use up the C grade apple efficiently. “We will need to work in this direction so that Grade C apple is used at the local level,” said Harish Chauhan, convenor of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch.
