Now Reading: Himachal apple output drop 30% to keep prices high till Sept
-
01
Himachal apple output drop 30% to keep prices high till Sept
Wholesale apple prices have already risen ₹500, 800 per 20-kg box from last year, Mint reports, as Himachal Pradesh faces a projected 30% drop in production to 4.93 lakh tonnes this season.…
The Story in Brief
Wholesale apple prices have already risen ₹500, 800 per 20-kg box from last year, Mint reports, as Himachal Pradesh faces a projected 30% drop in production to 4.93 lakh tonnes this season. The state supplies about 37% of India’s apple demand before Jammu & Kashmir’s harvest peaks in September.
Climate factors, warm winters, low snowfall, premature leaf fall, have weakened trees and damaged blossoms, scientists say. With domestic supply tight, traders expect imports from the US, Iran, New Zealand and Chile to increase, especially during the festive season. India’s apple imports fell 29.5% in FY26, but importers say market conditions now favour larger shipments.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that traders are hoarding to jack up prices ignores a real climate-driven supply shock. Orchardists in Himachal have endured three bad seasons, and blaming middlemen won’t bring down costs. The real test is whether imports, mostly premium varieties costing ₹300 a kg wholesale, can cool prices for the common buyer, or whether inflation will simply shift from Indian to foreign apples. The government must answer: what is its plan to help growers adapt, not just subsidise losses?.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
