Bumper crop maker apple prices fall

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 11.

There is good news for Delhiites. Housewives who had to shell out hefty amounts last year for buying apples can now sit back and relax without any fear of their domestic budgets going haywire. The reasonably bumper apple crop in various parts of Himachal Pradesh has pushed down the rates substantially in the retail markets making it within the reach of the common man.

The wholesale and retails markets, which had opened in a highly volatile fashion at the beginning of the apple season in mid- July, are now cooling down and the prices have come to stabilise at reasonable levels. Last year, Delhiites had to buy apples at a premium due to crop failure in Himachal Pradesh. The prices had touched Rs. 70 to Rs. 120 per kg in the retail market of Delhi in 1999.

At present, apples from Shimla, Kullu and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh are reaching the markets. The arrival of the crop from Kinnaur district has been delayed due to sudden flash floods last month and disruption of road communication.

Wholesale traders at Azadpur market informed that nearly 800 to 1,000 trucks are arriving everyday in the market. Delhi is the biggest apple consuming market and from here apple is further exported to Southern and Eastern Centres of the country. Exports are carried out to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan from here.

According to Mr. Om Prakash Garg, a wholesale merchant, the royal delicious quality of apple was selling between Rs. 200 to Rs. 600 per 18 kg box in the wholesale market as compared to Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,200 last year. This has resulted in lower retail prices of Rs. 15 to Rs. 30 per kg. The rates are expected to slide further next month when the apple crop from Kashmir starts arriving in the market.

Although, the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) has floated a website of its own, it has not been able to ensure buying of apple on the net. The APMC secretary, Mr. Sudhir Mahajan, said only certain vegetables are available for ordering on the net. ``We are working out the details with the traders for putting fruits like apple and mango for wholesale delivery on the net,'' he added.

Mr. Mahajan said arrival of apple in the Azadpur market was picking up very fast and was expected to touch more than 1,500 vehicles per day by month-end.

Not only this, the bumper apple season has also come as a blessing in disguise for thousands of labourers who sweat it out in the mandi. After passing through a bad patch last year, they are happy and are not complaining about the heavy arrival of trucks which are unloaded by them.

In order to avoid traffic jams in the area, the APMC has constructed a parking area at Khampur near the Kundli border for these incoming trucks. Trucks are released only late in the evening when the peak traffic goes down in the area.

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