Himachal Apple growers meet Narendra Tomar, seek remunerative prices

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 26

The Apple Farmers Federation of India comprising growers from Himachal, Srinagar and Uttarakhand submitted a memorandum to Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi today. It sought remunerative prices to apple growers and relief measures to help the apple industry tide over emerging challenges.

The federation claimed in the memorandum that growers get just 30 per cent of the total apple business while companies, commission agents, cold store owners, transporters, wholesalers and retail traders pocket the remaining 70 per cent.

“We have requested the Union minister to ensure legally guaranteed procurement and the Minimum Support Price determined by the C2 + 50 per cent formula,” said Sohan Thakur, a representative from Himachal.

The federation also sought the Central Government’s intervention in bringing up productivity to the global level. “Compared to the global production of 60 metric tonnes (MT) per hectare, productivity in India is merely 10 MT per hectare. Attaining global productivity standards in the apple sector can bring five-fold income to farm households,” said Thakur.

It said that there was no effective government mechanism for the procurement, transport and storage of apple available to a majority of growers in difficult terrains.

“Effective research and development projects to attain global standards and procurement, transportation and storage facilities by the government are the urgent need of the hour,” he said.

The federation sought a financial package of Rs 2,500 crore to enhance productivity to at least 40 tonnes per hectare and subsidy and interest-free loan assistance to farm households to transform these into high productivity farms.

The federation urged the minister that the subsidy on fertilisers, planting material, insecticides, fungicides, machinery and other cost items should be restored. “The government should provide appropriate quality items to the farmers at affordable rates through the Department of Horticulture,” said Thakur.

It also sought assistance for the creation of a network of producer cooperatives on the lines of dairy cooperatives, and financial assistance to producer cooperatives to create storage infrastructure, including controlled atmosphere stores and cold chain vehicles and processing and marketing facilities.

Seek MSP, subsidy

• The federation urged the Union Agriculture Minister to ensure legally guaranteed procurement of apple
• It sought MSP determined by the C2 +50 per cent formula
• Demanded restoration of subsidy on fertilisers, planting material, insecticides, fungicides, machinery and other items
• The federation sought a financial package of Rs 2,500 crore to enhance productivity to at least 40 tonnes per hectare

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