After that, the harvesting will be on in the high-altitude areas where the impact of the scab is higher. At the turn of the 20th century an American travelled to a remote mountain region  in  Himachal Pradesh and tried to propagate a strange idea. Apples from Himachal are exported to other Indian states and even other countries. He said the south Indian apple orchards — primarily in Karnataka — could produce 10 times more per hectare than Himachal Pradesh. The American was Samuel Stokes and when he first set foot in the hills of Himachal he was stuck by the similarity of weather here to   the apple growing regions of America.  Like most  do-gooder Westerners he had come as a  proselytizing Christian but he was so taken in by the simple lives of the Himachali’s that he got converted to their ways instead. This time they are missing owing to coronavirus and the farmers are taking their crop mostly to Delhi," he said. Apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh has become the mainstay of over 1.7 lakh families in the state as the orchards now cover 1,09,533 hectares, around 49 … In general, about 100 apple trees are planted in a bigha; with the new high density varieties being introduced, 200 to 250 trees can be planted in one bigha. A glade in a deodar forest. He changed his name to Satyanand Stokes, married a local girl and settled in Kotgarh. Baghi- Ratnari Panchayat , not far from Kairi, has been graced with the title  too and continues to be a leading Panchayat with highest apple production. The ravages of Uttarakhand are perfect example of this. He bought a plot of land in Kotgarh village, in Shimla district and planted apple saplings he had  got with him from America. Himachal Pradesh’s apple economy is worth nearly Rs 4,000 crore. Area under apple has increased from 400 hectares in 1950-51 to 30235 hectares in 1960-61, and 1,10,679 hectares in 2015-16. Apple cultivation was introduced in Himachal Pradesh by an American missionary, Samuel Evan Stokes in 1916. Pariyavaran Sangrakshak Samiti is a  grassroots level organization being run by the local orchardists here in Kairi village. This is the bottomline. Officials of the Horticulture Department said the harvesting of the crop from mid-hills of Shimla, Kullu and Mandi districts is at its peak. Nearly 30 to 35 per cent of the produce is sold at Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, while the rest gets transported directly to wholesale markets in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Jaipur and the Northeastern states. Havesting of apples in an orchard in Himachal Pradesh. Negi said that the horticulture department of Himachal Pradesh is now promoting high density apple tree varieties that can be grown at lower altitudes such as Banjar. Apple harvest time in an orchard in Shimla District. For Himachal Pradesh’s apple growers, this should have been the best possible year. Both luxuries for  majority of the people. But he got converted himself. Kairi Panchayat here in Shimla District, once had the  highest per-capita income among all  villages in the country. It is damaging this year’s produce, and causing a rise in its prices.  “What will we eat for food? Money was needed only for two things- tobacco and salt. Forests like these are dwindling fast in the area, Shimla District. The apple cultivation constitute 49 per cent of the total area under fruit crops and 85% of total fruit production in the state with an estimated economy of ₹ 3500 crore. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the ideal locations for apple cultivation. The Forest Department lays  the blame on the Revenue Department’s door. For example, an increase in temperature and decrease in winter rainfall and snowfall have reduced the number of chilling hours, leading to a decline in apple production in the region. Apples are mostly consumed fresh but a small part of the production is processed in to juices, jellies, canned slices and other items. Himachal Pradesh is also known as the “ Apple State ” of India for its large-scale production of fruits and it is also a great benediction to the economy of the state. Apple orchards in Himachal Pradesh [Photo/ANI]. Watch AP Telugu Farmer is Successful Cultivation Of Apples In Himachal Pradesh | New Waves Follow Us On : Subscribe : https://goo.gl/9fGJxb Twitter : https://goo.gl/zp3iJz Facebook : … Apples alone constitute 89 per cent of the state's fruit economy of Rs 4,000 crore. China is the largest apple producer in the world. ‘’Deforestation had changed the weather pattern in the region. Apple Harvest in Shimla District, Himachal The American was Samuel Stokes and when he first set foot in the hills of Himachal he was stuck by the similarity of weather here to the apple growing regions of America. HP. This season, he said, only a few farmers opted to sell the apples in the state. Climate change and global warming have been a reason for many such issues in the past. "Earlier, a number of traders from Gujarat and Maharashtra used to purchase apples directly from the farmers from their orchards. The apple orchardists have so far had a good run. Every apple orchardist should be concerned about it’’, says Digvijay Singh Chauhan, President of the Samiti. Deodar and pine forests are being rampantly cut  to plant apple trees. The reason is a prolonged winter spell and lack of adequate rainfall when the apple crop was ripening between May and June. Experts at the Dr Y.S. Golden Apples have no market and are grown only for pollination, Himachal Pradesh. The Orchards are a home to a variety of exotic Himalayan Birds. The average production is around 2.5 crore of boxes each year but may vary every year depending on the weather conditions. This means the country’s apple production … Apple cultivation also extended to Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya. And information that I did not know! And as always the pictures were gorgeous! ‘’ The demarcation ( of encroached land) is to be done by the Revenue Department before we do the evictions. Oct 2013. A total of 8,70,310 apple boxes have been sent to different markets of the country till August 8. Greed leads to downfall of humanity. According to Economic Survey 2019-20, a total of 6.64 lakh tonnes of apples were marketed in the state till December 2019 against 3.68 lakh tonnes in 2018-19. The prices remained almost 25 to 30 per cent higher than last year's, depending upon the quality," Vinod Kumar, a prominent apple grower from Dadesh village in Kotgarh tehsil in upper Shimla, told IANS. Nashik district is known as the grape capital of India,Nestling at the feet of the … But over the  decades apples have transformed the lives of the apple growing community completely.  ‘’Our banks  in Kairi had the highest deposits among any rural bank in India’’, says Shiv Prakash Bhimta ,a resident apple grower here. Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 30 (ANI): Apple growers in Shimla have said that private apple procurement centres in the district are … The beautiful state, Himachal Pradesh is the fruit basket for the country. Climate change, researchers say, is adversely impacting the production of important agricultural and horticultural crops in Indian Himalayan Region, especially those in the lowlands. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, told IANS the apple crop largely remained undersized owing to deficit and erratic monsoon rains. Shimla district alone accounts for 80 per cent of the total apple production. S Parmar University of Horticultural and Forestry in Shimla. It seems too big a problem to manage n is gonna take hundreds of years to rectify…. Loading a truck  with apple boxes, Shimla District. I hope the concerned people read and pay heed to the apple cause. Apple growers in Shimla have said that private apple procurement centres in the district are helping them earn more, as they do not have to deal with middlemen anymore. An apple orchards house in Shimla District, Himachal. Bhardwaj, a former Joint Director at the Y.S. Great reportage Sanjay! Shimla district alone accounts for 80 per cent of the total apple production. "Apple prices are significantly high owing to its short supply. Apples?”, they told him. Therefore there is a dire need for people like us to build awareness about environmental issues among the orchardists and show how its going to impact our future. Apple Tree Pruning in winters, Himachal Pradesh. The state has planned to organize this Apple festival for fostering tourism activities in Himachal Pradesh and awakening the tourism collaborators. Another outlandish fruit which is Kiwi, is now also seen in the orchards of Himachal. A study on horticulture, conducted by Indian Himalayas Climat… In a matter of few decades everyone in Himachal at an altitude of 1500meters and above  began to plant apple trees and reap the benefits. Very few orchardists in Shimla district  live in the villages now. The rainfall is erratic and  hailstorms  are more frequent now than ever”, says Dr. Inder Mohan a scientist at DR. Y.P. If high yielding varieties of apple are introduced in the state it can make a big headway by exporting the produce to Bangladesh which presently depends on Bhutan besides meeting the internal demand of the northeastern markets. He managed to convince a few families in his neighborhood  to do the same. The foremost food crop cultivated include “wheat, rice, maize, barley, ginger, seed-potato, vegetables, mushrooms hops, olives, fig, hops, and chicory seeds”. A farmer Layak Ram said, "Earlier we had to go to Delhi. So apple growers please wakeup and stop being selfish !!! Auschwitz: It Horrifies. The production is expected more in the high altitude areas, Horticulture Secretary Amitabh Awasthi said. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. A change due to global warming is nothing new. The story first appeared in the Bangkok Post. This time we packed the apples in 10 kg boxes and each box fetched around Rs 1,100," Kumar added. Favourable weather — an extended winter and good snowfall necessary to meet the minimum chill hours for the fruit-bearing trees to blossom — promised a bumper harvest. "Shimla's nearby apple growing areas of Kufri and Fagu saw 27 per cent less than normal rainfall from June 15 onwards. As per estimates of the state Horticulture Department, the state is likely to produce 30 million boxes of apples this season -- approximately five-six lakh tonnes -- and this is 25-30 per cent less than last year's record harvest. Grading for size, color and quality in a warehouse in Shimla District, Himachal. At the time when Samuel Stokes tried to introduce the idea of apples in these isolated Himachali villages, the villagers  hardly had any money or any use for it. Main Areas for the production of apples in Himachal The hill state of Himachal Pradesh constitutes about 48 percent of the area under the production of apple. Himachal Pradesh is the second largest apple producing state in India, right after Jammu and Kashmir. Lovely Photographs and a great article. View from the Barn Door, Apple Orchards in Snow, Himachal. Many exotic fruits like apple, pears, peaches, cherries, apricots, almonds, plums, pomegranate, strawberries etc are cultivated here. He said for the first time most of the growers are marketing the apples by packaging them in small boxes of 10 kg. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni say incidents of scab disease have been reported from some areas of Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts. Basically we have all lost our values !! He came to India in 1902 and settled in a village in Himachal Pradesh. In India, it is mostly grown in Kashmir, hills of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh. In some areas the scab disease, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis, makes the fruit impaired, tasteless and undersize.  It fetched them good money and they prospered. They would rather butcher a goat to the local Gods for good weather than plant trees in their denuded  forests. Area under apple has increased from 400 hectares in 1950-51 to 3,025 hectares in 1960-61 and 1,11,896 hectares in 2016-17. The apple harvesting season in the state is from July to October, depending upon the … They lived simple self-sustained lives depending on  livestock,   and agriculture. Download free map. All rights reserved. The rag-to-riches trajectory of the apple farming has had the orchardists encroach  the forests. In large areas in Shimla, the deficiency of rainfall goes up to 35-40 per cent," he said. In India, Apple is primarily cultivated in Jammu & Kashmir; Himachal Pradesh; hills of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. But if  the encroachments into the forests don’t stop, it will only be a matter of time before they  kill the golden goose that laid the golden eggs. Over the years, Himachal Pradesh farmers have come to understand that growing apples faced more and more problems. But very few understand this. Variegated Laughingthrush. They have their houses in their orchards. I am very happy you posted this…always wondered, A very informative and insightful write up. Also it damages the fruit with jet back spots. Grapes – Nashik.   ‘’The Forest Department is doing everything except saving the forests. Find map of Apple producing states in India. Today, apple farming is by far the most economically viable option for farmers in Himachal. That’s what has to be taught… God knows who is going to do it !? Earlier, a box normally contains 22 kg of fruit. It is also mentioned that the credit of taking up apple cultivation on a large scale in Himahcal goes to Samuel Stokes (Late Satyanad Stokes), a resident of Philadelphia who came to India in 1904 as a missionary worker. Powered by hocalwire.com, We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. © 2020 Hyderabad Media House Limited/The Hans India. Shimla’s Water Crisis and the Lazy Dependency on the Government, Sustainability and Luxury go Hand in Hand. Thanks. Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) , November 30: Apple growers in Shimla have said that private apple procurement centres in the district are helping them earn more, as they do not have to … In a few years the apple plants bore fruits and these families began to market the fruit for profit. But good!! The apple production in Himachal Pradesh is around 4 crore boxes (one box is 20 kilograms) if the crop is good. Apple is largely produced in the districts of Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, Mandi, Chamba, Sirmaur and Lahaul-Spiti. But the Revenue Department did not have sufficient staff to do the demarcations.  Therefore we had to ask for extensions to carry out the evictions’’, Says R. K. Gupta  Principal Chief Conservator of Forests – Department of Forests. Apple is so far the most important fruit crop of Himachal Pradesh, which constitutes about 49 percent of the total area under fruit crops and about 85 per cent of the total fruit production. This has gone unchecked for so many years that the repercussions of deforestation are now  visiting the orchardists. "In the last season, a box of 22 kg was sold from Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,600. The apple harvesting season in the state is from July to October, depending upon the plant variety. However like most gold-rush  bonanzas the apple story   also has a downside. Beautiful photographs Shimla:Less than the optimum yield coupled with labour pangs amid the coronavirus pandemic and fungal attack -- for the second consecutive year -- in Himachal Pradesh this season turn out to be a blessing in disguise for apple cultivators who say the fruit's prices have remained at a sweet high in northern India. The most awaited apple season in the hill State of Himachal Pradesh has begun with the first lot of around 10 lakh cartons reaching various markets in the country. According to Bhardwaj, poor crop management is mainly responsible for the spread of the disease. The State, despite undergoing an enc Expensive 4WD’s park behind high walls  and orchardists check for weather forecasts on iPads and iPhones. Thanks.  For a good yield the apple plant should have at least 1000 chilling hours in winters. Someone is atleast talking about it… Keep it up, Pilgrim’s Progress: Muslim Palanquin Bearers of Vaishno Devi, Taaza Khabar. Apple expert S.P. They began to live well;  wear better clothes, eat better food, built bigger houses and send their children to expensive boarding schools. Following up on a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) the State High Court had given directions for the registration of FIR’s and eviction of encroachers who had occupied more than 10 bighas of  forest land in Himachal. The apple orchardists have so far had a good run. This entry was posted on Thursday, October 17th, 2013 at 1:16 am. Himachal. 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