Floods in Himachal seal roads, leading to losses for apple farmers

Apple farmers in Himachal Pradesh are facing heavy losses this monsoon due to continuous heavy rains and landslides.

At this time, apples are usually ready in the orchards and the apple season is in full swing. But 397 roads and three national highways are closed across the state at the moment.

Due to disruption in road connectivity, ripe apples are not able to reach the markets on time. The situation is such that in areas like Kullu and Banjar, apple growers are being forced to throw their produce on the roadside.

The roads are most obstructed in Kullu and Mandi, from where the maximum apple produce comes. Eighty-five roads and the main National Highway 305 are closed in Kullu while the Manali four-lane highway is also getting closed repeatedly, due to which traffic is getting disrupted. A whopping 192 roads are closed in Mandi district, 21 in Shimla and 22 in Sirmaur.

Apart from this, the apples that are somehow reaching the market in vehicles are arriving in broken boxes and damaged conditions, due to which buyers are not paying the right price. The hard work of farmers throughout the year seems to be going waste this time.

According to an assessment by the state government, a loss of Rs 2,173 crore has been incurred so far this monsoon season. Of this, the loss to the horticulture sector has been estimated to be Rs 2,743 lakh and Rs 1,145 lakh to the agriculture sector. But no official assessment has been done so far of the direct losses being incurred due to damaged roads and the inability to deliver apples to markets on time.

Tirthan Valley horticulturist and businessman Pankaj Sood said, “Eighty-five per cent of the people in our valley are involved in agriculture and horticulture and 15 per cent in tourism. This time, both these sectors have been badly affected. There is only one road here and due to its closure, the apple crop is rotting in the fields. Many farmers have reached the point of throwing away their crop.”

Sanjay Chauhan, a member of the state committee of Himachal Apple Producers Association, said the situation is very serious. “Farmers’ apples and other crops are on the verge of rotting due to not being able to reach the markets. Apple farmers are broke. The government should immediately intervene and help farmers by buying apples directly from them under the mediation scheme, so that apple horticulture, which is considered the backbone of the state’s economy, can be saved.”

Anita Negi, a farmer and gardener from Banjar, said the situation is worse in her area. “The hard work of the whole year is on the verge of getting wasted this time. Twenty to 25 pickup trucks of apples are stuck in my high-altitude area. It is not possible to transport apples to the markets even after plucking them. Many farmers have been forced to stop plucking because the crop is rotting.”

The situation remains dire in the Seraj area as well. Balwant Singh, a farmer of Jhundi Panchayat, said, “Our house and garden of 80 fruit-bearing plants were already washed away in the disaster. Now the crop is ready in the remaining orchards, but it is impossible to reach the markets due to the roads not being opened. Apples worth crores of rupees from the entire Seraj region are stuck. If the situation remains the same, the entire season will be ruined.”

The natural disaster has affected not only apples but other crops as well. Farmers say there has been a big loss in the production of kidney beans this time as the flowers could not bloom. Tomato crops have also been affected by heavy rains. This has directly impacted the market, and the price of tomatoes has gone above Rs 100 per kg across the state.

Apples play an important role in Himachal’s economy. Every year, an average of Rs 5,000 crore comes directly and indirectly from apple production. This is the reason why apple is called the economic backbone of the state. About 250,000 families are directly associated with this business. But this time, these farmers have been devastated due to the natural disaster.

Local traders said the stoppage of apple transportation has affected not only farmers but also commission agents, labourers and drivers. This has affected the entire local economy of Himachal. At the same time, tourism has also been negatively affected as tourists are not taking the risk of going to the valleys due to the closure of roads. Drivers are avoiding transporting apples so that their vehicles are not damaged during transportation.

Farmers and experts believe that the government will have to work seriously on disaster management. Initiatives will have to be taken in road construction and maintenance and arrangements for alternative transport will have to be made in times of disaster. Otherwise, the same situation will be repeated every year in this season.