The State government will not compel apple growers of the state to use universally recognised cartons for packaging of apples, horticulture minister Vidya Stokes said.
She said growers could arrange cartons for apple packaging from Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing, Processing Cooperation Limited and Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative Marketing and Consumers Federation Limited and other private agencies.
The previous government decided to purchase 40,000 universal cartons, out of which 12,000-15,000 had been sold.
JC Sharma, managing director, HPMC, said universal cartons had a packaging capacity of 20kg, a design which aimed to prevent growers from losing out.
“Usually, growers are paid on the basis of boxes. On paper, weight would be 20kg, but in reality it exceeded 30kg often. Somewhere, growers are at loss,” he added.
However, after discussion between department and growers, the department has decided not to make use of universal carton mandatory, he added.
The decision has been criticised already, as every country except India already has standardised packaging. It's absence in the country makes it harder to trade internationally.
Currently growers are paid by the box, regardless of content and traders sell the produce on, based on weight.
She said growers could arrange cartons for apple packaging from Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing, Processing Cooperation Limited and Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative Marketing and Consumers Federation Limited and other private agencies.
The previous government decided to purchase 40,000 universal cartons, out of which 12,000-15,000 had been sold.
JC Sharma, managing director, HPMC, said universal cartons had a packaging capacity of 20kg, a design which aimed to prevent growers from losing out.
“Usually, growers are paid on the basis of boxes. On paper, weight would be 20kg, but in reality it exceeded 30kg often. Somewhere, growers are at loss,” he added.
However, after discussion between department and growers, the department has decided not to make use of universal carton mandatory, he added.
The decision has been criticised already, as every country except India already has standardised packaging. It's absence in the country makes it harder to trade internationally.
Currently growers are paid by the box, regardless of content and traders sell the produce on, based on weight.
