Srinagar, May 22: With inclement weather casting gloom on apple production in Himachal Pradesh, the Kashmiri fruit this year is expected to sell at good prices in Indian markets.
 Himachal Pradesh this March received heavy snowfall. According to sources over 50 per cent fruit bearing trees in the major apple cultivating areas in the state suffered loss.
 Experts said the apple production in Himachal, the second biggest apple producer in India after J&K, has a direct bearing on the market of Kashmir apple.
 Experts said even as the apple production in Kashmir too may relatively remain low this year, the prices however will remain high. “When there is little supply of apple in the market, the demand will remain high and prices will definitely soar,” experts said.
 Director, Horticulture Planning Marketing, M S Qasba said: “If weather plays no tantrums, the apple will fetch good prices to growers in Kashmir this year.”
 He said: “The demand for Kashmiri apple will remain high due to the damage of apple crop in Himachal by unfavourable climatic conditions.”
 Curiously, weather in Kashmir this year was not favourable for the fruit that comes in the market early spring. “The cultivators of cherry and pear suffered huge losses this year due to unfavourable weather conditions this year,” growers said.
 They said both pear and cherry were lashed with rains, besides there was sharp decline in night temperatures causing huge loss to the fruit formation.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 IST