Former minister: Apple growers face transport, procurement crisis

The lifeline of Himachal Pradesh’s economy—its thriving apple belt—is in deep crisis this season. At a press conference today, former minister Govind Singh Thakur squarely blamed government negligence for crippling the state’s most valuable crop, pointing to broken infrastructure and stalled procurement systems that are pushing farmers to financial ruin.

Thakur said the Mandi–Kullu highway, a critical artery connecting apple-producing districts like Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti and parts of Mandi to national markets, is in shambles. “Frequent landslides have rendered the road nearly impassable. Traffic is stranded for days, with people left without food and water. Farmers are helpless as their harvest rots in trucks and orchards,” he said.

The economic fallout, he warned, is staggering. The apple trade in Kullu district alone is valued between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 crore annually. “This year’s crop is literally rotting on blocked roads. The losses run into crores, yet the administration remains unmoved,” Thakur remarked.

Equally damaging, he pointed out, is the government’s failure to open apple collection centres. These centres, usually operational by mid-July, purchase C-grade apples at fixed rates to prevent wastage and provide steady income for growers. But this year, not a single centre has opened, even as the season peaks.

“In their absence, distressed farmers are dumping C-grade apples into rivers and nullahs. Months of hard labour and investment are washing away. The government’s apathy has created a perfect storm for apple growers,” Thakur said.

Calling for urgent intervention, the former minister demanded immediate restoration of the Mandi–Kullu highway and fast-tracking of procurement centres. “These are not optional measures—they are lifelines. Without them, the season will collapse, and thousands of families depending on apple orchards will face devastation,” he cautioned.

The apple crisis, he added, is not just about crops and markets but about the survival of Himachal’s farming communities. “If corrective steps are not taken now, the damage could cripple the state’s rural economy for years to come,” Thakur concluded.