Shimla: There is a need to formulate long-term strategies for the sustainable growth of the apple industry, keeping in view the effects of climate change, Horticulture Minister Vidya Stokes said said. Inaugurating a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM) in Shimla, she said that the Himachal Pradesh government is committed to strengthen apple marketing and post-harvest infrastructure in the state to ensure remunerative prices to farmers.
The farmers should be educated and informed about developing technologies for combating the effects of climate change and sustainability of the apple industry, she added. Tarun Shridhar, Principal Secretary of Home and Horticulture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, emphasised on the need for accurate data on post-harvest losses and investments in pre-harvest technologies, branding and marketing of apples.
"We must focus on quantitative as well as qualitative aspects of apple cultivation so as to build the confidence of the farmers as well as of consumers," he said.
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