The procurement of apples by Himachal Pradesh private firms has affected supply in the local markets here. According to traders, there is a slump of around 20-30 percent as compared to last year. This has caused the prices of the apples to rise.
One trader at the Maqsudan fruit mandi said: “Apples from HP start arriving in the local mandis in August. Last year, by this time, around 40-50 jeeps containing 2000-2500 apples had arrived, but this season, just 7-10 jeeps have reached. Subsequently, the prices have increased by almost 20 percent.”
Another fruit trader said that owing to the drop in supply, traders were selling the fruit kept in the cold stores here. The local apple traders are now waiting for the arrival of apples from Jammu and Kashmir.
