Shimla, March 18,
The Himachal Pradesh government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with foreign company Griva to supply high-yielding apple cultivars, which will be multiplied and provided to farmers at affordable rates, Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi informed the state assembly on Tuesday.
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Responding to a query by MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore during the Question Hour, Negi expressed concern over the country’s inability to develop advanced apple varieties, leading to a heavy reliance on costly imported plants. “Farmers are currently paying around ₹750 per plant for imported varieties, with many purchasing non-quarantined plants due to the unregulated growth of private, non-registered nurseries,” he said.
Highlighting the risks associated with uncertified plants, Negi warned that the influx of non-quarantined consignments had resulted in viral diseases and crop losses. “We cannot solely rely on Dr. Y.S. Parmar University to develop indigenous apple varieties. It will take at least a decade, if not more, for our research institutions to produce the required disease-resistant, locally adapted cultivars for large-scale apple farming in Himachal Pradesh,” he stated.
The minister stressed the urgency of addressing the shortage of high-yielding apple plants, emphasizing that the state must collaborate with reputed nurseries both within and outside India. “While our universities have made progress in research, the demand far exceeds their capacity. We need immediate solutions, and the only viable option is to provide growers with the best available cultivars from abroad while continuing indigenous research,” he added.
As part of the MoU, imported plant material will be multiplied at Bajwara and supplied to farmers at ₹300 per plant. Additionally, advanced cultivars priced at around ₹500 in the market will be made available to apple growers at a subsidized rate of ₹400 per plant.
Negi also informed the assembly that in 2023-24, the government launched a crackdown on the illegal supply of plants, confiscating 25 containers of imported saplings and destroying approximately 2.95 lakh non-quarantined plants. “So far in 2024, four more containers have been seized,” he said, acknowledging that non-quarantined plants continue to enter Himachal from Jammu and Kashmir and other states. He emphasized that Dr. Y.S. Parmar Horticulture University specializes in quarantining imported plants and needs to strengthen efforts to develop new indigenous varieties under its research and development wing.
Raising the issue in the assembly, MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore voiced concerns over farmers being exploited with high-cost, non-quarantined plants. “Unregulated plant material is flooding into the state from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, forcing farmers to pay ₹600-700 per plant. This adds to the financial burden on small and medium apple growers,” he said. Rathore also highlighted the introduction of viral diseases through these imported plants, stressing the need for stricter quarantine measures.
“Our farmers are spending crores to import advanced varieties that may not even be suited to our climate. We must develop solutions at home within the next few years instead of relying solely on foreign imports,” Rathore asserted.
Minister Jagat Singh Negi reiterated that while long-term research is crucial, the immediate priority is to provide high-quality plant material to apple growers. “There is no alternative but to source the best cultivars from abroad for now, even as we work towards strengthening indigenous efforts in the coming years,” he stated.
