Half of Apple crops reaches to market, Farmers appreciating rumneriative prices

About Two crore Apple boxes are sold and reached in fruit market across India which is currently having average prices. Prominent farmers of Apple belt Govind Chitranta told us that about two crores apple boxes sold or reached in the market. He said that apple Growers expecting ruminerative price of crop as input cost increased exorbitantly under Narendra Modi government which levied 18 per cent GST on the Apple cartons. Harish Chauhan who is waging battle along with United Farmers Front says that they have already hold strongest protest after 1991 farmer agitation however the deaf And dumb Goverment are not ready to hear them. We hold a one round of talk with goverment but State and center is not ready to withdraw the hike in GST. Farmers blamed big corporate who is closed to Centre goverment for artificially creating slump in the apple market. Formerly Center Goverment trade unionists and prominent apple growers of Jubbal Kotkhai said that this year apple quality, taste and its colour is attractive. The market is picking up but the flip flop of big fruit or food chains which have yet to buy apple for their cold storage, plants, retal outlet or stores likely to further boost up the market. The price of high quality apple is currently 1600 to 1800 per cartons (23 to 25 kg) in the market.Nand Lal Rajta a prominent apple Growers of Reog village of Kumersen said that this price is equal to the input and crop cost. They are waiting to increase the rate of apple as number of traders are expected to buy their apple which have long shell lives and high quality. The apple of highest altitude including Jubbal Kotkhai, Narkanda and Kinnaur are at par with export quality. President of Himachal Pradesh Kissan Sabha Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar said that corporate who are in the fruit chains market are keenly waiting to crash the market however as half of crops are solds number of farmers may have options to book the cold stores to wait for good price. Dr Tanwar said that only 25 per cent people in the country could take relish of crispy and crunchy apple. The declining role of state government and horticulture Institutions forced the farmers to wage to front battle with their livilihood. The farmers are being cheated by the middlemen and being heavily burdens by increasing cost of fertilizers and pesticides. Apple growers and Farmers are also facing adverse climatic conditions , hailstroms, poor roads and trafic. During the monsoon heavy rain also effect plucking and packaging of crops which require extra precautions to avoid  demage to crops. Himachal Pradesh apple is delicious, crispy and crunchy which have unquie quality. Some of apple Growers also competing in the quality with Washington apple which normally fatch abot Rs 5000 pet box. State government projected production of around 3.75 Cr apple boxes only five percent of production store in the cold storage which normally cost around Rs 600 to 700 per boxes per year. The good aspect of this apple season is that apple crops is of very high quality. The apple season begins in mid of  July came to end a weak before Dueasra festival in the mid of October every year. Number of educates youths who are serving in multinational companies severed their jobs to test their fate in the Apple production and few also tarding apples and setting up apple based juice, beaverage and food products industries. Apple is backbone of hill Economy as it contributes around Rs 5500 to Rs 6000 Cr to state GDP.  There are about four lakh hectares areas under apple orchard and about three lakh households are directly run their livilihood from Apple. The Apple production also provide round the year self-employment to five lakh people in the state which more than the total state government working strength. Dr YS Parmar and Samul Stokes helped to set up number of high quality Apple orchards in the state. Former Horticulture Minister Vidya stokes who is daughter in law of Samuel stokes and Narendra Bragta former BJP Minister worked tirelessly to set up new high yielding apple straind in State.