Shimla | Apple production in Himachal Pradesh has dropped 48 per cent so far this year as climate change, unseasonal rains, hailstorms, and snowfall have caused severe damage to the crop.

So far this year, 1.15 crore apple boxes have reached the market compared to 2.18 crore boxes last year, a decline of nearly 48 per cent, State Horticulture Director Satish Kumar said on Thursday.

Apple production in Himachal this year is set to hit a 10-12 year low as climate change, unseasonal rains, hailstorms and snowfall have severely damaged the apple crop, he added.

The apple crop, with a Rs 5,000 crore economy, is the backbone of the horticulture sector in Himachal Pradesh, and about 2.5 lakh families in the state are associated with the crop cultivation.

The apple season runs from June 15 to the end of October. However, the early varieties start hitting the market at the end of June, while the apples from higher reaches and tribal areas continue to pour in till the end of October. The drop in production will impact both the farmers and the state's GDP.

According to the horticulture department, total apple production this year is estimated to reach only 1.5 crore boxes. In terms of metric tonnes, apple production stood at 7 lakh metric tonnes last year, but this year, it is expected to drop to between 3.5 lakh and 3.75 lakh metric tonnes.

Procurement under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) has also been affected, and till date only 10,462 metric tonnes of apples have been procured under the MIS, whereas by this date last year, 76,674 metric tonnes had been procured.

Procurement is also hit due to the smaller size of the apples. This has led to a shortage of raw materials for HPMC to produce juice and other products.

The Director of Horticulture has appealed to orchardists to enrol in the 'Restructured Weather-Based Insurance Scheme' in large numbers for the upcoming season so that losses caused by hailstorms, low temperatures, and other weather-related factors can be compensated.

He said that traditional horticulture methods will no longer suffice.

Production in older orchards is steadily declining, and the department is now promoting high-density plantation.

About 1,00,000 to 1,50,000 high-density saplings are being prepared in Karsog, which will be planted according to varying altitudes. Orchardists will need to adopt scientific methods.

According to orchardists, a very poor harvest was seen in upper Shimla areas this year.

Compounding the issue, hailstorms have wreaked havoc, and the costs of fertilisers, sprays, labour, and packing boxes have all risen, said apple grower Premraj Dharta.

Those who previously produced 1,000 to 1,200 boxes annually have seen their yield drop to just 300-400 boxes, with hailstorms destroying much of the crop, said orchardist from Sandhu area, Sujaat Chauhan.

High cost of fertilisers, sprays, and raw materials for boxes combined with uncertainty regarding the authenticity of pesticides (whether genuine or counterfeit) and expensive labour make it difficult to even cover the year's operational costs for the orchards, said orchardist Hardiyal Rolta.

Production is significantly lower this time, and it is difficult to predict whether the total volume will reach 2 crore boxes by the end of the season, said Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi. Last year, about 3.49 crore boxes had reached the markets.

The state government is set to increase procurement prices under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), and a proposal in this regard is to be presented in the upcoming Cabinet to provide some relief to orchardists, Negi added.