Nearly 70 per cent Himachal Apple sold in the Market

Apple Economy of North India currently dominated in the fruit and vegetables markets as many as 70 per cent of the state Apple is already sold or reached in the Markets across the Country. The majority of small and marginal apple growers are alleging that market forces are trying to crash the Apple market partly succeed to do so however the most of the crops are already gone in the Market.  A progressive farmer of Theog Govind Chauhan said that around 2.5 Crore apple boxes are already sold in the market .  The 70 per cent of the Apple variety counts the storable Royal , Red Richard and Red royal are mainly left in the orchards which have high longevity or shelf life give little edge to the Farmers to supply it in the high price bands provided the monopoly of big markets  corporate, Commission agents and Big producers did not effect , Govind Chitranta told us. Ravinder Thakur said that Big Arthiya and Adani Agrofresh are trying to crash the markets so that it could boy quality storable apples at cheaper prices .  They want to buy the crop on the basis of less that Rs 50 per kg so that they could resold it in the market after cold storage and in the mall at the rate of Rs 200 to 400 per kg . We are witnessing that big chains are trying to allure farmers to send apple crops towards its procurement center every days but to eradicate stumps in the market it arbitrarily closed the gate of its plants or store to create glut in the market.  The commission agents and Arthya who is also cheating the farmers are engaged in the business of purchasing the corps for storage  with the big food storage chains .  The farmers are being cheated by the commission agents as they are not releasing the payment of farmers on the day to day basis but delaying it for long days .  The farmers who are selling four thousand boxes could afford the delay of the payments of crops however those who are producing three hundreds to two thousands apple boxes are on the receiving agent, the akesh Chauhan of Chopal laments.  The corps is matured ten to 15 days earlier helped the farmers to not crash market so early.  The posing challenge for the farmers is slow transport of apple due to artificial hurdles like illiegal collections by the state agencies and crossing of several toll plaza and barriers.  The bad weather and poor link roads also affected the transport of apples to the market , Mr Govind Chitranta said .  The state Government which is trying to not helped the apple growers by intervening in the marketing and aligning with the corporate houses is ruining Rs 6000 Crore plus apple economy due its sectarians approach .  The Agrifresh , Devibhumi and other corporate house did not participate in the marketing if apple directly but buy it for the cold storage also trying to create impression that apple corps is bumper or there is glut in the market however the reality is something else .  Mr.  Chitranta said that Apple caters only 7 to 8 per cent total fruit production the country and only Himachal Pradesh and Jummu and Kashmir are the apple producing states .  The market tactics are just manipulation and hype to crash the apple rates every year.  There are around nine lakh people who are engaged in the apple industry mostly youths , if the government would keep on neglecting the apple economy it would create uprising among the youth against it.  The old Himachal Pradesh where Apple being produces in seven to eight districts annually produce about eight to nine lakh metric tone of apples.  Out of which 70 to 80 per cent are being sold in the open markets however only five to six percent are being kept in the cold storage.  Adani agrifesh purchase only eight to ten lakh boxes for the purpose while the role of the other corporate are still only one to two lakh apple boxes .  Some of the traders who are called the Ladani the whole seller also trade the apples in lakhs of apple boxes every years by participating in the open markets .  The cartels of big corporate houses , Arthya and commission agent and unregister middlemen also earning the profit from apple economy and cases of farmer cheating and ill practices are rising .  Many apple growers are switching over to high demand and quality apple variety as Grainy Smith and Redlum Gala which have very high demands for its catering and beveraging quality, Mr Chauhan said