India produces all deciduous fruits including pome fruits (apple and pear) and stone fruits (peach, plum, apricot and cherry) in considerable quantity. These are mainly grown in the North-Western Indian tates of !ammu and "ashmir (!#"), $imachal %radesh ($.%.) and in &ttar %radesh (&.%.) hills. The North-'astern $ills region, comprising of the tates of runachal %radesh, Nagaland, eghalaya, anipur and i**im also grows some of the deciduous fruits on a limited scale. +ue to introduction and adaptation of low chilling cultiars of crops li*e peach, plum and pear, they are also now being grown commercially in certain areas of the north Indian plains. ut of all the deciduous fruits, apple is the most important in terms of production and etent. pple was introduced into the country by the /ritish in the "ullu 0alley of the $imalayan tate of $.%. as far bac* as 1234, while the colored 5+elicious6 cultiars of apple were introduced to himla hills of the same tate in 1718. The apple cultiar 5mbri6, is considered to be indigenous to "ashmir and had been grown long before Western introductions. %ears and other deciduous fruits were domesticated successfully successfully in the early part of the 9: th century, although some of them were reported to occur under semi-wild conditions much earlier. pricot was found growing in the drier poc*ets of north-western $imalayas and two apricot arieties, locally *nown as 5$alman6 and 5;a*chai*arpo6 are reported to be indigenous to
Over 700 accessions of apple, introduced from USA, Russia, U.K., Canada, Germany, Israel, et!erlands, Australia, Australia, S"it#erland, Italy and $enmar% !ave &een tried and tested durin' t!e last (0 years. )!e delicious 'roup of cultivars predominates t!e ap ple mar%et. )!e areas covered under $elicious cultivars are* ++ - of t!e area a rea under apple in ./., ./., (- in 12K and 0- in U./. !ills. In more recent times improved spur types and standard c olor mutants "it! 304(0- !i'!er yield potential are favored. )!e important selections are* )ypes )ypes of apples •
Spur types 4 Red spur, Star%rimson, Golden spur, Red C!ief and Ore'on spur.
•
Color mutants 4 5ance $elicious, )op )op Red, S%yline Supreme.
•
6o" c!illin' cultivars 4 ic!al, Sc!lomit.
•
8arly cultivars 4 9enoni, Iris! /eac!, 8arly S!an&urry, :anny
•
1uice ma%in' cultivars 4 6ord 6am&ourne, Grann y Smit!, Allin'ton Allin'ton /ippin.
•
Sca& resistant cultivars 4 Co4Op4;3, :lorina, :irdous, S!irean.
•
e" y&rids 4 6al Am&ri , Sune!ari , Amred , C!au&atia Anupam 2 C!au&atia /rincess <8arly S!an&erry = Red $elicious> developed in India.
In $.%. monoculture of a few cultiars such as ;oyal +elicious, ;ed +elicious and ;ichared hae started showing negatie impact on the apple industry. erious problems of apple scab disease and outbrea* of premature leaf fall and infestation of red spider mite are causing great concern. &.%. $ills, particularly the "umaon hills diision, hae the unique adantage of early harest of apple, mainly due to cultiation of early maturing arieties li*e 'arly hanburry, =anny and /enoni. The early maturing arieties are harested 9-> wee*s before the arrial of fresh apple from $.%. and !#", and hence fetch ery remuneratie prices.
Fruits
J&K
Apple 9enoni, Iris! /eac!, Co?@s Oran'e /ippin, Am&ri, !ite dotted Red, American Apirou'e, Red $elicious,
H.P.
U.P.
)ydeman@s 8arly, ollies $elicious, 8arly S!an&urry, Star%rimson, Star%in' $elicious, C!au&attia /rincess, Red delicious, Ric!ared, Granny4 :anny 9enoni, Red Smit!, Red Spur, )op Red, Red $elicious, Star%in' C!ief, Ore'on Spur, Golden Spur, $elicious, Rymer, ic!al, Sc!lomit 9uc%in'!am
Golden $elicious
Area and Production
$eciduous fruits are mainly cultivated in ort! est ills Re'ion of India, comprisin' of States of 1ammu 2 Kas!mir <12K>, imac!al /rades! <./.> and Uttar /rades! and in t!e ort! 8astern ills Re'ion in t!e States of Arunac!al /rades!, a'aland, e'!alaya and anipur
State
Apple (1995-96)
Area (a)
Arunac!al /rades!
((3
Production (!")
B70
#ield (!"$a)
;.7
imac!al /rades!
7+3B
37+;
B.0
1ammu and Kas!mir
7+007
7;+
;;.0
a'aland
;0B
;.70
Uttar /rades!
((300
3;0000
.B(
)otal
3;70BB
;3;;7B
(.(
Alt!ou'! t!ere !as &een (4 fold increase in apple production durin' t!e last (0 years, t!e productivity level is still very lo" <(.( tD!a>. Apple cultivation received 'reater attention &y t!e 'ro"ers. In ./, area under apple increased from 03 !a in ;B04; to 7+3B !a in ;BB(4B "it! a correspondin' increase in yield. 12K covers a&out 7+007 !a under apple "it! a production of 7;+ tons. In t!e U./. !ills <+ districts> apple occupies a&out 0 per cent of t!e area under fruits and contri&utes .B percen t of fruit production. )!e area covered under apple in U./. !ills is ((300 !a "it! production of 3;0000 tons of fruits. In t!e ort!48astern ills Re'ion, 'ood Euality apple is produced only in t!e rain4s!ado" &elts of Arunac!al /rades! <((3 !a>, and in a'aland a very small area < !a> !as &een &rou'!t under apple cultivation. A&out BB percent of India@s apple area falls under t!e ort! estern ills re'ion, coverin' districts of 12K , districts of ./. and + districts of U./. . In t!e ort!4eastern ills re'ion, 'ood Euality apple is 'ro"n in a small area in )a"an' &elt of Kamen' district in Arunac!al /rades!. )!e )a"an' area is &asically a rains!ado" &elt and t!erefore, permits a lon'er period of suns!ine and freedom from !eavy rains, ma%in' it ideal for apple. Apple is also 'ro"n in Si%%im and a'aland &ut t!e production is not a maFor success. /resently, a small Euantity of apple produced in India is e?ported, mainly to 9an'lades! and Sri 6an%a. !A%K"'
)!e &i''est "!olesale mar%et for apple is t!e :ruit and 5e'eta&le mar%et at A#adpur, in $el!i. A&out 70 per cent of t!e total trade of apple is distri&uted t!rou'! t!is mar%et. )!e seasons of mar%et arrivals from ort! estern States are as follo"s*
./. 4 1uly to Octo&er "it! a pea% in Au'ust 4 Septem&er 12K 4 Au'ust to ovem&er, "it! a pea% in Septem&er 4 Octo&er U./. 4 1une to Octo&er, "it! a pea% in 1uly 4 mid Septem&er. )!ere are a num&er of mar%etin' c!annels, of "!ic! t!e predominant are* a> :armer 4 /re4!arvest contractor 4 Commission a'ent 4 !olesaler 4 Retailer 4 Consumer. &> :armer 4 :or"ardin' a'ent 4 Commission A'ent 4 !olesaler 4 Retailer 4 Consumer. c> :armer 4 Commission a'ent 4 !olesaler 4 Retailer 4 Consumer. )!e sale t!rou'! pre4!arvest contractors is t!e most important system of mar%etin'. ormally, t!e small orc!ardists sell t!eir crop at flo"erin' sta'e to contractors "!o or'ani#e plant protection practices, pic%in' and pac%a'in' of fruits. )!e medium and lar'e orc!ardists prefer to mar%et t!eir produce t!rou'! c!annels <&> and . In ./., a&out (- of total apple produced is mar%eted t!rou'! t!ese t"o c!annels. Some Gro"ers@ Co4operatives and Government controlled mar%etin' Corporations also 'et involved in t!e apple mar%et. :or e?ample, in ./ t!e volume of tradin' !andled &y Gro"ers@ Co4operatives is a&out .( to .0 per cent, "!ile anot!er 343.( per cent of t!e total produce is mar%eted &y /C. )!e ational orticulture 9oard <9> of t!e Government of India re'ularly pu&lis!es and announces t!e "!olesale price and mar%et arrival fi'ures of apple in different terminal mar%ets for t!e &enefit of t!e 'ro"ers. Some Euantities of apple are placed in cold stora'e facilities. Pro*le+s o, +aretin
s a dominant crop of the alley ?pple@ proudly represents the fruit industry of "ashmir, representing 72A of the total fruit production. /etween 178B C84 and 9::2:7, the area under apple has gone up from B317: hectares to 1>>921:hectares. "ashmir apple has lied upto its reputation for being one of the choicest fruits. "ashmir has for long been considered the home of apples. number of apple arieties are found indigenous to thestate of which mbri is ?%ar ecellence@ mongst all other fruit crops apple has found a better reception with the growers due to its high prices and ability to stand transportation.ar*eting is basically the %rocess of moement of goods from produces toconsumer at the desired time, place and form. The mar*eting process consequently inoles both mental and physical aspects. In mental aspect, the seller must *now what buyers wants, andbuyers must *now what is for sale and in physical aspect, that goods must be moed to the place where they are demanded by consumers. The mar*eting of pple is a comple phenomenon. The mar*eting pattern of apple is diDerent from other agriculture commodities. They are Erst brought to the wholesale mar*ets near the production area and then supplied from there to the terminal mar*ets. The dispersion process in case of apple is in the opposite direction. The produce is Erst sent to the terminal
mar*et from the producing area and then distributed to the primary and secondary mar*ets.Fonsequently, a large number of middlemen are inoled in the channels of trade between the apple producers and the consumers. There is also an eidence of collusion amongst theapple merchants to control apple prices within the mar*et and to inGuencing pricing in othermar*et. The mar*eting system for apple is therefore, of utmost importance for those growerswho specialise in apple production and of great importance to all those people who areconcerned with the producer6s share in the consumer6s price. pple mar*eting in the alleyis irtually in its entirety is carried out by the priate sector comprising of pre-harest contractor, forwarding agent, commission agents, wholesalers and retailers. It is claimed that collusion among middlemen and eploitation of wea*er producers is common practice. pple mar*eting being comple phenomena requires special treatment and utmost care at present in the "ashmir 0alley. +ue to powerful intermediaries in the mar*eting system, present mar*eting has an inherent tendency to gie more beneEts to these intermediaries at the cost of apple growers. The present mar*eting structure is such that 28A of the mar*eting actiities are solely performed by these powerful intermediaries. ar*eting is a widerconcept and deseres careful attention towards pre-harest and pos tharest technologies and operations. Henerally in the country and particularly in the state, when a grower enters into agri-business, he has to follow the mar*et oriented modern sophisticated pre-harest andpost-harest operations accessible and aDordable at his own leel. ther forwarded agencies should hae to follow the same strategies.
/areousin
)!e imac!al /rades! orticultural /roduce ar%etin' and /rocessin' Corporation 6td. </C> !as set up modern fruit pac%in' !ouses in different parts of t!e State. 8ac! pac%in' !ouse !as a capacity to 'rade and pac% ((,000 to 37(,000 cartons of fruits. Cold stora'e facilities at t!e production centers and terminal mar%ets at $el!i, 9om&ay <um&ai>, adras and Calcutta !ave &een created. Similarly, t!e /C !as underta%en lar'e scale processin' of temperate fruits li%e apples, peac!es and ot!ers.
In ./, 'radin' and pac%in' of fruits !ave &een or'ani#ed reasona&ly "ell. In app le, 7 si#e 'rades !ave &een prescri&ed and dimensions of pac%in' &o?es, si#e of "rappin' papers and num&er of layers of fruits for eac! 'rade !ave &een standardi#ed. In apricot, plum and peac!, t!ree si#e 'rades !ave &een prescri&ed. /resently C:9 telescopic tray pac% cartons for apple and smaller si#e universal C:9 cartons for stone fruits are in use. )!ese are availa&le "it! /C at t!eir various pac%in' stations. /lastic crates <&ot! collapsi&le and non4collapsi&le> are also used for cold stora'e and for processin' units. $as! /ic%in' and pac%a'in' of fruits are done in different "ays at different sites. In U./ !ills, trees are 'enerally strip pic%ed into small "ic%er &as%ets or small 'unny &a's "!ic! are emptied into lar'er &as%ets for carryin' to pac%in' stations. 9ot! U./. and 12K !ave developed pac%a'in' units for different temperate fruits. India presently e?ports a small Euantity of apple <(.B(- of total fres! fruit e?port>, mostly to 9an'lades! and Sri 6an%a. Apple cultivars li%e Red and Royal $elicious, Am&ri and ot!er ne" colored cultivars are suita&le for t!e e?port mar%et. Accordin' to t!e )rade ear statistic
Kas!mirHs annual apple production !as risen to ;( la%! metric tonnes t!is year &ut t!e valley still !as no si'nificant facility for cold stora'e, "!ic! !as &e en affectin' t!e demand and price of Kas!miri apples in t!e national mar%et. 002US'
$eciduous fruits, coverin' pome and stone fruits contri&ute si'nificantly to t!e !orticulture economy of India. Apple production dominates t!e scene and systematic cultivation and mar%etin' of apple can c!an'e t!e rural economy in t!e !ills of ort!4estern India. e" vision and concerted efforts are reEuired for c!an'e in variety mi?, supply of Euality plantin' material from elite clones on inde?ed clonal rootstoc%s. i'! density plantin', "ater mana'ement includin' micro4irri'ation, inte'rated plant nutrient mana'ement and I/ strate'y for plant protection are some of t!e areas "!ic! need 'reater R2$ focus. Adoption of post4!arvest mana'ement practices and infrastructure development for 'radin', pac%a'in', pre4coolin' and stora'e of t!e produce needs focused developmental attention. 5alue addition and e?port promotion, particularly of apple are dra"in' due attention of t!e developmental a'encies in India.
