कुल्लू

GOOD NEWS,NOW APPLE MARKET BOOMS...
Now the kullu apples is going to give sweet prices to its owners.There is respite from incessant rain and festival season in Maharashtra has brought some cheers to growers with apple market beginning to look up at last. Prices of best quali...ty fruit of superior varieties have increased by 20 to 25 per cent over the past two days.

The rates of superior varieties like royal delicious, which ranged between Rs 550 and Rs 700 per box over the past almost one month, are now fetching upto Rs 900 per box. Average rates of relatively inferior varieties like red golden have also increased from Rs 350 to Rs 500 per box.

The increase is attributed to weakening of the monsoon in the northern region as a result of which more fruit is being lifted from markets. Besides, the festival season in Maharasthra, one of the biggest consumers of apple in the country, has also pushed up the demand.

However, the growers were facing a new problem in Delhi market due to steps taken by the local administration to regulate traffic. In all, only 400 trucks from Shimla and Kullu were being allowed entry everyday and only those vehicles which entered the national capital before midnight were issued passes. Rest of the vehicles were made to wait for the next day at the border. The delay caused in reaching the market led to ripening of fruit, which, in turn, fetched lower prices.

Not only that, the additional day or two the trucks had to wait in Delhi, added to the shortage of vehicles. So far, 2.24 crore boxes have been exported out from the state and in all, 49,218 trucks have left the state to various markets. In comparison, only 1.26 crore boxes were sent out in 2007 when the state recorded the highest ever production till date.

Growers want the government to take up the matter with the Delhi administration to allow all trucks to enter the market without restriction as apple was a perishable commodity and the crop was already delayed.

Shortage of trucks is hampering the transportation of apple procured under the market intervention scheme (MIS). Out of the over 22,000 tonnes of fruit procured till date, only about 14,000 tonnes had been lifted and the remaining over 8,000 tonnes is awaiting transportation at collection centres for which 850 trucks are required.