Shimla | The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation has processed a record 1,545 metric tonnes of apple juice concentrate across its three plants this year so far, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Sunday.

"It includes 814 metric tonnes (MT) from the Parala plant in Shimla district, 653 MT from the Parwanoo plant in Solan district, and 78 MT from the Jarol plant in Mandi district," he added.

He said the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) is crushing nearly all apples procured, with minimal fruit being sold through auctions.

"92 per cent of the apples procured this season are being processed, due to strict adherence to procurement standards," he noted.

The chief minister said that under the MIS this year, a total of 29,200 MT of apples have been procured in the state. Of this, 19,437 MT were purchased through 206 procurement centres of HPMC, while 9,764 MT were procured through 109 centres of Himfed.

"The apple season in the state is ongoing, and procurement under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) continues, with processing expected to increase as procurement grows. In an effort to enhance the quality of apple procurement under the MIS, HPMC has piloted the purchase of 1,219 MT of apples from farmers using crates. For the first time, apple procurement has also begun in the remote area of Pangi in Chamba district," he said.

HPMC has introduced an online portal to improve the MIS.

"Procurement is now managed through this online system, which provides real-time data on procurement, transportation, crushing at processing plants, auction of fruit, booking of CA stores and direct bank transfer linkage, which is ensuring transparency and efficiency in services provided to apple growers," the chief minister said.

"HPMC has enhanced its processing capacity, with this year's crushing capacity increasing from 21,000 MT to 39,000 MT compared to the previous year. Additionally, the grading and packaging line capacity has been enhanced from 15,900 MT to 33,900 MT. The wine units at Parala and Jarol have a combined annual capacity of 1.50 lakh litres."

A new vinegar unit at Parala has an annual capacity of 50,000 litres, while a new pectin unit at Parala can produce 1.2 metric tons per day, and the ready-to-serve juice unit now has a daily capacity of 20,000 litres, he noted.

HPMC has also expanded its market presence by engaging pan-India distributors and opening new retail outlets at Delhi Metro stations and other prominent locations across the country.