Between June 27 and September 15, a total of 1.7 crore (17.37 million) apple boxes of 20 kg each reached markets across Himachal Pradesh, according to government data. This is higher than the 12.31 million boxes recorded during the same period last year.
A government spokesperson reported that from Shimla and Kinnaur APMC, 10.9 million boxes were sold, compared with 7.74 million boxes last year. Mandi APMC registered 1.68 million boxes compared to 8.92 million boxes in 2024. Solan APMC recorded 2.49 million boxes against 2.22 million boxes, while Kullu APMC handled 2.08 million boxes compared to 1.40 million boxes a year earlier.
The spokesperson said the government worked to restore damaged roads to maintain the flow of apples to markets. Temporary reconnections were carried out to ensure transport even during peak damage periods.
Under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), procurement through HPMC has crossed 55,000 metric tonnes, more than double last year's volume. To support this, HPMC has established 274 collection centres where procurement is ongoing. Due to blocked roads in some regions, trucks have not been able to reach all centres.
HPMC's fruit processing plants at Parala (Shimla), Parwanoo (Solan), and Jarol (Mandi) are processing about 400 tonnes of apples per day.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated: "The state government is fully committed to safeguarding the interests of apple growers and ensuring their well-being. We have introduced the Universal Carton to guarantee remunerative prices and to put an end to the exploitation of horticulturists."
Source: Hindustan Times