Kullu: Himachal Pradesh recorded an improved apple output in 2025, but the mismatch between a steadily expanding area under cultivation and the total production raises a concern over the stability of the apple economy.According to the Economic Survey report, the state posted a total apple production of 6.47 lakh metric tonnes in the financial year 2025-26, which was 28.6% higher than the total output of around 5.03 LMT in 2024-25. The total production last year was 27.9% higher than the FY 2023-24, when the state produced around 5.06 LMT of apples.As per the report, the area under apple cultivation in the state also increased by 0.08% from 1,16,240 hectare in 2023-24 to 1,16,338 hectare in 2024-25. The area under apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh has increased by 14.6% from 1,01,585 hectare in 2010-11 to 1,16,338 hectare in 2025-26.The area under apple cultivation grew by 21.4% between 2007-08 and 2024-25, stated the survey report. However, fluctuating apple production has not been able to keep pace with the growth in the area under cultivation.For the last over a decade, the apple production graph of the state has not been consistent and has seen major ups and downs. After recording the lowest output of 2.75 LMT in 2011-12, the production rose to the highest 7.7 LMT in 2015-16, but only to fall again to 3.6 LMT in 2018-19. The very next year, apple production shot up to 7.1 LMT in 2019-20. The state has not been able to beat this figure in the last six years.The Economic Survey report for FY 2025-26 also raises concern over the mismatch between the area under apple cultivation and the production. It states: “The fluctuations in apple production during the last few years have attracted the attention of the govt.”According to horticulture experts, changing weather conditions in the state are primarily to be blamed for the fluctuations in apple production.“Not only is there a rise in average temperatures in the state, making the weather warmer, there has also been a reduction in snowfall. The apple crop is highly sensitive to weather changes and requires ideal conditions. But if apples are not even getting adequate chilling hours, then the yield is bound to be affected,” said Luddar Thakur, a horticulture expert who runs an apple nursery near Bhuntar in Kullu.“The warming of weather is the main reason why apple belts in districts like Kullu, Mandi and Shimla are moving to higher altitudes. To ensure a corresponding rise in apple production with increasing area under cultivation, the state govt should promote apple varieties like Gala that can be grown in comparatively lower altitudes and in warmer climates,” Thakur added.Apple is the most important cash crop of Himachal Pradesh, constituting 49% of the total area under fruit crops and 77.5% of the total fruit production in the state. Around 2.5 lakh families in Himachal Pradesh depend directly or indirectly on apple farming in the state, which is the second largest producer of apples in the country after Kashmir.According to Sohan Lal Verma, an apple grower from Raison village in Kullu district, inconsistent weather has made apple farming financially risky, especially for marginal farmers.“Unpredictable and inconsistent weather has made apple farming a highly unreliable source of income. Moreover, the cost of production has also increased several times in the last decade, gradually turning apple farming into a non-viable source of income, especially for small farmers,” said Verma.Fluctuating Apple Production Year | Area under cultivation | Production2011-12 | 103644 | 2.752012-13 | 106440 | 4.122013-14 | 107686 | 7.382014-15 | 109553 | 6.252015-16 | 110679 | 7.772016-17 | 111896 | 4.682017-18 | 112634 | 4.462018-19 | 113154 | 3.682019-20 | 114144 | 7.152020-21 | 114646 | 4.812021-22 | 115016 | 6.112022-23 | 115680 | 6.722023-24 | 116240 | 5.062024-25 | 116338 | 5.032025-26 | | 6.47*Area in hectares**Production in lakh metric tonnesSource: Economic Survey report, 2025-26 MSID:: 129732471 413 |
