Roads heavily damaged but still 1.57 cr apple boxes sold

Over 1.57 crore apple boxes have been marketed within and outside the state until now. The number of marketed boxes would have been higher if excessive rain had not blocked or washed away link roads in various parts of the apple belt. Though roads are blocked, around 45 lakh more apple boxes have been marketed compared to the corresponding period last year. Until September 11 last year, 1.13 crore boxes had reached the market.

The significant difference in the marketed box in comparison to last year could be attributed to high production in the lower apple belts of the state. Until August 20 this year, over 88 lakh boxes had been marketed. In the corresponding period last year, only around 32.6 lakh boxes had been marketed. It shows the production in the lower belts had been nearly three times this year as compared to last year. Harvesting in the lower belts normally comes to an end by August 15.

Meanwhile, 43,930 MT apple has been bought under the Market Intervention Scheme until now through 227 collection centres opened in various parts of the apple growing area. The apple bought through MIS until now is significantly higher compared to the corresponding period last year when just a little over 15,000 MT apple was procured. Heavy hail and premature leaf fall are the major reasons behind such a spike in the procurement of culled apple this year.

Meanwhile, apple growers are complaining the blockage of several link roads in the middle of the season had hit them hard. “There’s still a lot of apple left behind in the orchards. Many roads are still to be opened,” said a grower from Kotkhai.