Remove 24-kg cap on apple box weight: Theog MLA

Shimla, July 3

With the apple season set to pick up pace in about two weeks, the voices against the 24 kg capping per box are growing louder. On Monday, Kuldeep Rathore, the Congress MLA from Theog, also joined those opposing the 24 kg limit per box. “The 24 kg ceiling must go, it’s not in favour of the growers,” he said while welcoming Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi at the Parala Fruit Mandi here today.

For the record, the government has changed the apple marketing system this season. Unlike in the past when apple was sold per box, the fruit this time will be sold per kg with a ceiling of 24kg weight per box. While most growers are fine with selling apple on the basis of weight, they see the 24kg ceiling per box a source of confusion and confrontation with the arthiyas and buyers. Sanyutk Kisan Manch and many others are batting for universal carton, in which only 20 kg could be packed. “The Congress government had designed a universal carton through Indian Institute of Packaging in 2013 for packing 20kg apple. Yet, one can’t understand why the government doesn’t make it mandatory,” said Sanjay Chauhan, co-convener Sanyut Kisan Manch.

A section of growers, who had gathered at the fruit mandi to give memorandum to the Horticulture Minister, said that they would go to the court if the capping on weight was not withdrawn.