New Delhi: The apple farmers in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttrakhand are facing hard times since input costs have doubled along with low yield besides the low price for their produce. Prompting them to write a letter to the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar demanding MSP for apples and also guaranteed procurement of the products through government agencies.
A delegation of the Apple Farmers' Federation of India is in Delhi to meet the Union agriculture minister and has sought an appointment with him to submit their charter of demands to the government. Apple farming provides livelihood to around 9 lakh households in 20 districts of three states-Kashmir, Himachal, and Uttrakhand.
Around 24 lakh metric tonnes of apple are produced in India out of which J&K contributes 77% of the total production. India is the sixth largest producer in the world. But according to apple farmers, there are a number of issues that are plaguing them which include a rise in input costs and less government support which have hit the sector in the last few years.
"In the last two years, the cost of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and other equipment like spray machines and tools have doubled. Farm workers are also not getting paid sufficiently and are thus migrating to other sectors. Trade manipulation, imports, and lack of storage facilities are the other issues which we have been facing for a long time now," said Sohan Singh Thakur, delegation member from Himachal.
The issue of remunerative price also contributes to the miseries of apple growers. According to the data provided by the AFFI delegation, 30% of the production is wasted at different stages due to the nonavailability of storage facilities for small and middle farmers. An average value fetched by the farmers in various categories is estimated as Rs 45/kg for A grade, Rs 20 for B grade, and Rs. 8 for C grade. On average, farmers get Rs. 24 per kilo and since 18 Lakh MT is the marketable produce, they roughly earn Rs 4300 crores.
"Against this, the consumer price for apple as per grade varies from Rs 30 to Rs 300. If we consider Rs 80 as the average commodity price in the retail market, then around Rs 14,400 crore is the value of our apples in the consumer market. The farmers who have to bear the cost of production, including the labor charges, get below 30% of this value chain," added Sohan Thakur.
The productivity of apples is also low in India as compared with the other apple-growing countries. The average global productivity is 60 metric tonnes per hectare whereas India has only 10 MT per acre. Farmers are demanding that technical and scientific assistance with the latest variety of seeds can bring the productivity in India to 40 MT per hectare but for that, the government will have to take initiative and introduce some special package for the Apple Farmers.
The Apple Farmers' Federation has demanded that legally guaranteed procurement at a Minimum Support Price (C2+50%) should be ensured to improve the condition of farmers in the sector. Restoring subsidies on inputs, assistance for productivity enhancement, the inclusion of MGNREGA workers in apple orchards, import policy, creation of producer cooperatives, insurance coverage, and freedom from indebtedness are the other main demands in the 11-point charter to be submitted to the Union Agriculture Minister.
