Good rainfall yields bumper production of apples in Himachal Pradesh

Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), July 31 (ANI): Good and timely rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has yielded a bumper apple crop for the year, which could also make the fruit affordable for most consumers.

The production this year is expected to be thirty to forty per cent higher.

This year, apple production has gone up to six lakh metric tonnes.

"These days every one is engaged in plucking apples, as it is the harvesting season. But the rates are not that high as compared to that of last year. This is why, I feel, that this time, even common man can taste good apples," said Nakul Khullar, an apple grower.

Due to the abundance of apples, growers believe the market price of the fruit will come down this year.

"Last year, the rates were up to 50 to 60 rupees per kilograms. And, the common man used to buy it between 20 to 30 rupees per kilogram. But this year, they can buy apples at a low price, as the production is very high in comparison to the last few years. The growers would not get their share due to excess production," said Khullar.

Himachal Pradesh is known for its large size apples, but this year, due to bumper crop, the size is a bit smaller than the usual ones.

Local apple growers are eyeing the fruit markets of Kolkatta, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where small size apples are preferred to the big ones. By Prem Thakur(ANI)