Kashmir's apple production surpasses Himachal Pradesh in domestic market
A shift toward high-density planting and government subsidies has allowed Kashmir to dominate the national apple trade.
Kashmir has significantly increased its share of India's domestic apple trade, leaving Himachal Pradesh struggling with lower yields and weather-related issues, according to The Tribune.
Data from the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute shows Jammu and Kashmir harvested 20.45 lakh tonnes of apples in the 2024-25 cycle, compared to 5.83 lakh tonnes from Himachal Pradesh.
In Himachal Pradesh, the Horticulture Department projected a harvest of 4.36 lakh tonnes, but only 1.37 crore boxes have been dispatched so far. This is less than 50 per cent of the 3.49 crore boxes recorded last season.
Pradeep Singh Reakta, general secretary of the Apple Arhtiya Association in Parwanoo, said plunging temperatures during flowering, minimal winter snow, and unseasonal rain and hail hammered both volume and cosmetic quality.
Kashmiri growers are increasingly using high-density M9 rootstock and trellis-supported dwarf trees, which bear fruit within three years. Shahnawaz Khan, a grower in Shopian, said his Gala boxes fetched between Rs 2,000-2,500 in mandis this season.
BJP leader and apple grower Chetan Bragta claimed Himachal Pradesh accounts for barely 28 per cent of India's yield against Kashmir's 72 per cent. He alleged that Kashmir surged ahead due to coordinated government funding and subsidies, while Himachal's subsidies have been misaligned or frozen.
