Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh, India are expecting record harvests this season, but finding enough workers to pick the crop is a problem, affecting the state’s role as one of the highest apple producing areas in India.
Nepalese workers (Gurkhas), who traditionally make up a large portion of the workforce, are now opting to work at construction sites for the higher wages offered, reported the Business Standard.
“If more numbers of Gurkhas don’t arrive soon, it will be difficult for the standing crop to reach market across the country in time,” said Lekh Raj Chauhan, president of the Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetables Growers’ Association.
The three-month harvesting period began this month, but has failed to pick up the pace because of the low number of workers. Farmers are hopeful, though, that once the sowing season ends in Nepal, there might be an increase in the labour availability.
Meanwhile, a horticulture delegation from Himachal Pradesh, including state horticulture minister Narender Bragta, is visiting Europe to study apple orchard management and post-harvest technologies that may be applied in India.
