Shimla, August 30: This time in Himachal Pradesh, apple farmers have suffered losses worth crores of rupees due to more than normal rains during the monsoon. Due to heavy rains, there was leaf fall on a large scale. Later, there was a fruit drop. Due to the dropping, there were heaps of fallen apples in the orchards.
Due to this, neither the apple fruit could be of a good size nor its quality. According to horticulture experts, due to excess rain, leaf-fall, which usually happens after 15th September, started in July this time. This is the main reason for the loss.
State President of Apple Producers Association, Sohan Thakur, said that due to early leaf fall, the apples could not grow in a good size. The leaves that used to fall after 15th September in apple orchards, this time they started falling after 15th July. Due to this, the apples could not grow in good size. There was large-scale dropping of apples. Due to this, the orchardists have suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees.
Lokendra Bisht, president of the Progressive Growers Association, said that due to double the normal rainfall, several diseases caused leaf fall and the dropping of apples in apple orchards. Alternaria and Marsonina diseases cause damage every year. But this time, blight has also caused damage.
Lokendra Bisht said that due to excess rain, the root system is unable to tolerate standing water. In such a situation, even medicines do not work. He said that due to heavy rains, all the fungal diseases have spread to the fruits this time. Due to this, this kind of damage has occurred not in any particular area but in the entire state.
The leaves that were supposed to fall on September 15 fell in July: Devendra
Devendra Verma, a gardener from Theog, said that every year the leaves used to fall after 15th September. This time, the leaves fell in the last week of July. Because of this, the shape of the apples could not be formed. Due to this, he has suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees.
62% more rain than normal in August
According to the Meteorological Department, this time the state has received 32 percent more rain than normal during the entire monsoon season and 62 percent more rain in the month of August. Due to such heavy rains, the apple crop has been ruined.