Shimla: Defying the fury of torrential rains and the crippling damage to roads and bridges, Himachal Pradesh has surprised many with a higher arrival of apples in the markets this season—proving once again that the state’s apple belt thrives even in adversity.
The data released by the state government reveals that a total of 17,374,204 apple boxes (20 kg each) have reached various markets between June 27 and September 15.
This marks a significant increase compared to 12,318,924 boxes during the same period last year.
The officials monitoring the apple movement daily said this has been made possible due to the continuous supervision and relentless efforts of the Public Works Department (PWD).
The Public Works Department (PWD) promptly restored or temporarily reconnected the damaged roads, ensuring the smooth transportation of apples. Even during peak damage, government machinery worked around the clock to facilitate apple growers.
Giving details, the government officials said that from Shimla and Kinnaur, 1,09,86,863 boxes were sold against 77,40,164 boxes last year at the local markets.
In the case of Mandi, 16,81,055 boxes were sold compared to 89,19,893 boxes last year. Solan district recorded sales of 24,90,835 boxes against 22,18,685 boxes, while Kullu registered 20,88,374 boxes compared to 14,03,392 boxes in 2024.
The government maintains that there will be no let-up in its efforts to ensure smooth transportation and marketing of apples so that growers do not face any inconvenience.
Meanwhile, the state government has also extended benefits to orchardists under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). Through HPMC, procurement has crossed 55,000 metric tons, which is more than double compared to last year.