Himachal Pradesh is facing a shortage of chemical fertilizers at a time when the state’s 200,000 apple orchards are in need of them. Just 22,598 tons of chemical fertilizers have been distributed among the state’s farmers by the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers’ Federation Ltd. (HIMFED) up until now. This is quite insufficient, as there is just one month left for the current financial year to end. Some 74,604 tons were distributed by HIMFED last year.
Horticulture expert S.P. Bhardwaj stated that apple trees need nutrients before work can be started on the next crop after the harvest. It is currently the right time to provide nutrients to apple plants through fertilizers. If the trees do not get fertilizers at the right time, it will result in less flowering, less production and low quality apples.
