Himachal seeks central package for fruit crop loss
August 4th, 2011 - 10:12 pm ICT by IANSShimla, Aug 4 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Thursday demanded a special financial package from the central government for the loss to the fruit crops due to hostile weather, an official statement said.
State Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi and demanded that hailstorms should be included in the list of natural disasters so that farmers can get compensation.
“The loss suffered by the fruit growers should be compensated under a central scheme,” he said.
According to Bragta, the state has suffered a fruit crop loss of Rs.900 crore due to hailstorms in the past three years.
Bragta later told IANS the hailstorms this season have severely hit the Kothgarh-Thanedar apple belt in Shimla district, the prominent apple belt in the state.
Cherry, pear and peach crops too have been hit due to weather vagaries, he added.
Bragta also met Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma in New Delhi and apprised him about the economic impact of dumping of apples at much cheaper rates by developed countries, including China, in the domestic market.
Himachal Pradesh is one of India’s major apple-producing regions, with more than 90 percent of the fruit being sold domestically.
The state’s fruit economy is estimated to be around Rs.1,500 crore.
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- Brace up for high apple prices as Himachal's crop yield falls - Jun 13, 2011
- Extended chill may upset Himachal's applecart - Apr 16, 2011
- Hail punctures hopes of Himachal apple growers - May 01, 2012
- Rains help Himachal's apple crop, record output likely - Jun 09, 2010
- Apple season almost over in Himachal - Nov 03, 2010
- Hike duty on Chinese apple: Himachal Congress - Jun 26, 2011
- Himachal installs anti-hail guns to protect fruit crop - Aug 24, 2010
- Himachal's anti-hail guns fail to deliver - Jun 26, 2011
- Monsoon revival brings cheer to Himachal apple growers - Aug 23, 2009
- Rains cheer Himachal's apple growers - Apr 21, 2010
- Himachal's apples - 70 percent less yield - Nov 01, 2011
- Himachal Pradesh promoting exotic fruits - Dec 07, 2009
- Poor yield makes Himachal apple business fruitful - Sep 09, 2011
Tags: agriculture minister, anand sharma, central government, central scheme, crop loss, crore, developed countries, fruit crop, fruit growers, hailstorms, himachal pradesh, industries minister, list of natural disasters, narender, New Delhi, rs 1, sharad pawar, state horticulture, vagaries, weather