Kullu: Himachal Pradesh’s apple growers have opposed the Railways’ proposal to transport produce to markets across the country, saying the plan is unviable as it lacks a dedicated logistics network, increasing the risk of damage to the fruit.Under the proposed arrangement, produce would first be transported by truck from orchards to Kalka, loaded onto trains and, upon reaching the destination railway station, shifted again to trucks for delivery to wholesale markets.The president of the Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers Growers Association of Himachal Pradesh, Harish Chauhan, said the proposal does not address the practical challenges faced by apple growers.“An individual farmer may have only 50, 100 or 300 boxes, whereas a railway wagon can accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 boxes. Farmers cannot wait for produce from other growers to fill a wagon because apples need to be dispatched as soon as they are harvested. Unless there are proper collection centres and a well-established supply chain, individual growers cannot implement this model,” Chauhan said.“Moreover, most wholesale fruit and vegetable markets are not directly connected to the rail network. So, the biggest issue will be repeated loading and unloading of the produce — first by road, then train, and again by road. Every stage of handling increases the risk of damage to the fruit,” he said.Chauhan said rail transport could become a viable option in the future, but only after the required infrastructure is developed.“Collection centres, fixed schedules, and direct connectivity between railway stations and wholesale markets have to be created. Without that, the system will largely benefit commission agents and large traders rather than farmers,” he said.According to rough estimates, around 45% to 55% of Himachal’s apple crop is traded through the state’s own mandis, from where it is dispatched to markets across the country. The remaining produce is sent directly by farmers to wholesale markets outside the state, with Delhi and Pinjore accounting for the largest share. Apples are also transported directly to major markets in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, besides several other wholesale centres.A Kullu-based apple grower, Sunil Sharma, said the railway proposal should not be implemented without first doing the necessary groundwork.“Railways is the cheapest mode of transport and can eventually reduce logistics costs and shorten transit time. But first, there must be a proper roadmap with infrastructure and stakeholder support. This is not something that can be implemented overnight,” said Sharma.A meeting between the railway officials and representatives of Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board (HPSAMB) was held in Shimla on Aug 6 to discuss the proposal.During the meeting, the HPSAMB said the freight rates proposed by Railways were higher than the existing cost of road transport, making the model commercially unviable. The Board urged railway authorities to revise the proposal by offering more competitive freight rates.Railways’ proposal has been under discussion for several years. A similar stakeholder meeting on rail transportation of apples was held in 2023, in which growers’ representatives had also participated. However, the infrastructure and operational framework needed to make the system workable are yet to be put in place.Apple is Himachal Pradesh’s principal cash crop and the backbone of the state’s horticulture economy, supporting the livelihoods of lakhs of growers as well as transporters, commission agents, labourers, packers, and traders.Meanwhile, according to horticulture experts, this year, Himachal is likely to witness one of its poorest apple harvests in recent years. While initial estimates had projected production at around 2.18 crore boxes, growers now expect the crop to be between 1.5 crore and 1.8 crore boxes, against 3.4 crore boxes last year.
