Shimla – The eagerly anticipated apple season has officially commenced in Himachal Pradesh today. Typically, by mid-July, consignments of high-quality apples flood the fruit markets. However, this year, the scenario is different as the premium produce has yet to make its way to the market.
In the Bhattakufar fruit market, consignments of Tydeman and Red June apples have started arriving, while Gala apples are making their debut at the Parala fruit market. According to commission agents, this year’s apple season is off to a late start compared to the previous year. The primary culprit behind this delay is the widespread drought, which has adversely affected the apple crop. As a result, the shape and colour of the apples are not up to the usual standards.
Apple growers, faced with challenging conditions, have begun harvesting and bringing their produce to the market before the apples are fully ripe. This premature harvesting is impacting the prices that growers receive for their crops, with many not fetching the desired rates at the beginning of the season.
Over the weekend, the Bhattakufar fruit market witnessed the arrival of 2,986 apple crates on Saturday and between 1,500 to 1,800 crates on Sunday. During this period, Tydeman apples were sold at prices ranging from Rs 800 to Rs 1,400 per crate.
