Prices of quality Himachal apples bounce back

SHIMLA - Prices of superior quality apples have firmed up marginally ahead of the festival season, bringing cheers on the faces of growers in Himachal Pradesh.

“The market has once again started looking up after weeks of slump. The price of superior grade apples has increased by Rs.100 to Rs.150 a box,” Gian Singh Chandel, chairman of the government-run apple market committee at Dhalli near here, told IANS.

He said the rise in prices was due to the approaching Id-ul-Fitr festival Sep 11.

For the past two weeks, Chandel said Royal Delicious was fetching Rs.250 to Rs.850 a box, while Royal Red and Golden were getting Rs.250 to Rs.650 and Rs.250 to Rs.300 a crate respectively.

Horticulture department officials said over two crore standard boxes of apples have been sent to various markets till date. On an average, over 600,000 boxes are reaching the markets everyday.

The best quality apples in the country from Kinnaur and the Spiti are yet to reach the markets.

Chandel said most of the apples are heading towards Azadpur, the Asia’s largest wholesale fruit market in Delhi, where a crate of superior grade apples is selling Rs.200 to Rs.300 more than Dhalli.

Apple is the main fruit crop of the state and is being grown in nine out of 12 districts.