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Over 500 stakeholders, including farmers, global market players, and scientists, converged in Theog on Wednesday for the 7th Annual Apple Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The day-long event addressed the "triple threat" facing the state's 6,000-crore apple industry, erratic climate change, declining productivity, and a critical technological lag. A major highlight of the conclave was the announcement by Adani Agri Fresh to scale up its digital interventions. Following a successful pilot that traded nearly 1,000 tonnes last year, the company is set to launch Digital Mandis across all its major plants. New digital marketplaces will open at the company's controlled atmosphere (CA) storage units in Rampur, Rohru, and Sainj. Business Head Manish Aggarwal noted that the initiative will provide farmers with a transparent, "pre-declared" pricing model, reducing dependency on intermediaries. The move aims to modernise the procurement process for the 17,000+ farmers currently within the Adani ecosystem. Setting the tone for the discussions, CII Himachal Pradesh Chairman Sanjay Suri emphasised the need for a unified platform to bridge the gap between farmers, industry and government. "Our aim is to bring global best practices, new technologies and policy discussions to farmers who otherwise may not have access to such information. This platform helps align all stakeholders and ensures that farmers are aware of what is happening globally and how they can adapt," he said while speaking to ANI. A major highlight of the conclave was an announcement by Adani Agri Fresh, which said it will roll out digital mandis across all its controlled atmosphere storage units in the state in the upcoming apple season, following the success of a pilot initiative. Business Head (HP) of Adani Agri Fresh, Manish Aggarwal, said, "We started a pilot digital mandi last year and received a very good response, selling nearly 1,000 tonnes. Now, we will expand it to all our three plants in Rampur, Rohru and Sainj so that farmers can directly market their produce digitally and have better price discovery." He added that the initiative would provide farmers with an alternative and transparent marketing channel with pre-declared pricing, enabling them to make more informed decisions. Farmers attending the conclave described it as a crucial learning and interaction platform. Young apple grower Ankit Bramta said, "This is an important platform where farmers can directly communicate their issues to both state and central governments. We also learn about new technologies, pesticides and global practices, including those in countries like New Zealand," he added. Another progressive farmer, Prakash Thakur, underlined the productivity gap and the urgency of adopting modern techniques. "In Europe, apple productivity has reached up to 100 tonnes per hectare, whereas in Himachal it is still around 6-7 tonnes. Climate change is affecting crops every year. Platforms like this help farmers understand policies, connect with industry and adopt better practices," he said. Experts at the conclave also highlighted the importance of scientific orchard management, improved planting material, soil testing and adoption of global horticulture practices to enhance both yield and quality. Himachal Pradesh's apple economy remains a critical pillar of its rural livelihood system. The state has around 11 lakh hectares of cultivable land, of which nearly 2 lakh hectares are under fruit orchards, and about 1 lakh hectares are dedicated to apple cultivation alone, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the fruit-growing area. The state produces approximately 5.5 lakh metric tonnes of apples annually, contributing over Rs 6,000 crore to the state economy. However, stakeholders expressed concern that climate variability, rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are increasingly impacting both yield and fruit quality, making adaptation through technology and policy support essential. Participants emphasised that strengthening market linkages, encouraging digital interventions like e-mandis, and accelerating the adoption of modern horticulture techniques would be key to safeguarding the future of apple farming in Himachal Pradesh. (ANI)
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