Congress flays govt for apple growers’ losses

The sharp fall in the apple prices is a matter of serious concern with only 25 % of the apple crop left in the orchard for harvest, Congress said in a statement

SHIMLA: Expressing a worry over the losses being suffered by the apple growers in the state, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh said that the state government and chief minister Jai Ram Thakur were least concerned about the farming community.

The apple growers of Himachal Pradesh were suffering huge losses due to the sudden fall in the prices of the apple in the market. (HT File)

In a statement issued here, she said that the fruit growers were suffering huge losses due to the sudden fall in the prices of apples in the market.

She also demanded the government announce a relief package and waive agricultural loans of the farmers whose fruit and foodgrain crops were damaged due to rains and hailstorms.

The Congress president also slammed the BJP governments at the Centre and the state for rising prices of essential commodities like cooking gas and food items.

She said that the BJP leaders who would raise a big hue and cry when an LPG cylinder cost ₹400 were silent when its price crossed over ₹1,100.

Congress on Tuesday expressed concern over the crashing prices of the apple main fruit crop of the state that contributes to 13.5 % of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“The sharp fall in the apple prices is a matter of serious concern with only 25 % of the apple crop left in the orchard for harvest,” said Jubbal Kotkhai legislator Rohit Thakur. He said that contrary to the increasing input cost of the apples the prices were decreasing each year. He also criticized the high power committee constituted by the government for regulating the prices of the private companies buying apples in Himachal. The government has remained the mute spectator to the private companies decreasing the prices of the apple each day which is adversely impacting the fruit markets within and outside the state “ said he, suggesting the government set up its Controlled Atmospheric stores rather than promoting the private companies. He said that the government should allow fruit growers to set up their cold stores through APEDA. He said that in the wake of the heavy losses the farmers are being compelled by the middlemen to add extra layers of the apples in the boxes which he said was wrong. “The trend of adding extra layers of the apple to 20 kilograms box which is exceeding its weight to 40 kilograms was adding further losses to the fruit growers, “ he said.