Apple season witnesses brisk biz, 11 lakh boxes sold in Solan

Apple trade has witnessed a boom this season registering around 27 per cent rise in sales vis-à-vis last year, according to the data secured from the Solan-based sale outlets.

The data gathered from the apple mandi in Solan revealed that 11,02,238 boxes were sold this season. This was a quantum leap, bringing cheer to the growers who come to Solan from Shimla districts and parts of Kullu.

“The apple sale began on June 27 and all three outlets in the district, namely the apple mandi at Solan, terminal market at Parwanoo and the check post at Chakki Mor, have recorded good sales in comparison to the previous year,” said Roshan Thakur, Chairman, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, Solan.

The biggest trade of 7,27,106 boxes was done at the apple mandi, Solan, followed by 3,48,327 boxes at the terminal market at Parwanoo and 26,805 boxes at Chakki Mor till Tuesday evening. Hectic auctioning is being witnessed by traders, who visit Solan from far off places such as New Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, etc.

A business of Rs 42.30 crore was executed at Solan from June 27 to July 31, a significant increase from the previous year, while in Parwanoo, the trade stood at Rs 21.70 crore and it was slated to rise further as trading would last for some more weeks, said Thakur.

There has been a good apple crop this year, the sales are slated to improve further though damage to link roads in the apple belt of Shimla has made the task of timely transportation challenging for the growers, said Govind, a grower of Kotgarh.

Vinay Singh, Director, Horticulture, said, “Apple production has registered a steep growth this year vis-à-vis the last season. Untimely rain, which has been lashing the apple belt since May when the fruit setting takes place, can hit its quality and the subsequent price to an extent.”

To curb cases of commission agents duping apple traders, the Solan police have initiated a complete background investigation and identification of truck drivers and vehicle owners involved in the transportation of the fruit in the forthcoming season.