Himachal apple growers raise their issues in the meeting with the officials of horticulture department

SHIMLA: To resolve the pending issues of apple growers and know about the problems being faced by them, a meeting was held between the apple growers and senior officials of the horticulture department in Shimla on Tuesday.


Apple growers in the meeting raised the demand for strict implementation of the APMC Act 2005 and to safeguard their interests. They also demanded to constitute the horticulture commission as per the poll promise of Congress party.

Horticulture secretary Amitabh Awasthi, director Sandeep Kadam and MD, marketing board Naresh Thakur held the meeting with the apple growers from all over the state.

Apple growers also raised the issue of increasing input cost and in view of this, they demanded to fix the rate under market intervention scheme. In the meeting consensus could not be reached regarding the universal carton as most of the growers were against the universal carton.

The apple growers also raised issues like reducing GST on cartons, doubling of input cost, increasing import duty on apples, restoring the subsidy being abolished on fertilizers, seeds and medicines.

They said that the input cost has doubled in the last 3-4 years, but even today the rates of apples are available as they were 15 years back.

Former CPM MLA from Theog and apple grower Rakesh Singha while interacting with media persons after the meeting said that there is need to implement the APMC Act strictly. He also raised the issue of having adequate compressed atmospheric stores and processing units in the state.

Singha said that by arranging a meeting between the apple growers and the officials of the department, the present government has shown administrative will to resolve the pending issues of apple growers but the government also needs to show its political will on the issues confronting the horticulturists of state.

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