Shimla apple growers await opening of MIS collection centres

The apple season has picked up pace in the lower areas of the state but the government is yet to issue a notification for the opening of collection centres for the culled apple under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). The government procures culled apple from growers at a fixed price through the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) and Himfed.

“The harvesting season is in full swing in Shimla and Mandi districts. The state government is yet to open collection centres in lower areas. Due to the delay in the opening of collection centres this year, the apple growers of Shimla and Mandi are facing significant difficulties in selling undersized and hail-damaged apple,” said Ajay Thakur, a resident of Narain village in Theog of Shimla district. “This time there’s a lot of hailed apple. In the absence of MIS collection centres, we don’t know what to do with the hailed and undersized apple,” he added. Normally, the notification for opening centres is issued by July 15 and the procurement of apple in lower belts start around July 20.

HPMC General Manager Sunny Sharma said that the centres, wherever required, would be opened by the month end. “We have, in fact, already opened a couple of centres and will open other centres in phases based on the demand in that area,” he added.

Harish Chauhan, convener of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch, said that they had brought the delay in the opening of the collection centres to the notice of Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi, who assured them that the centres would be opened shortly. “We are hoping that the notification for the opening of the centres will be issued after a Cabinet meeting a couple of days later,” he added.