Apple production in Himachal drops sharply amid poor weather

An apple a day may keep the doctor away but this year erratic weather conditions have impacted apple production in Himachal Pradesh. This has led to a sharp decline in available stock for domestic markets, leaving little for exports.

“This year the crop is very low in Himachal Pradesh and even the quality of apples is not very good. This is due to the bad weather conditions over the last one year,” said Ravinder Chauhan, President, Apple Grower Association of India.

Himachal Pradesh has produced only about 10 million boxes of 24 apples each this year, against an optimum output of 30 million boxes, he said. “There are hardly any apples for export this year from the state,” Chauhan said, adding that imported apples are also meeting part of domestic demand.

MUST READ | India’s rabi sowing falls 46% to 37.56 lakh hectares; wheat acreage plunges 94%

Early snowfall in the higher reaches of the Himalayas this year, along with the impact of El Niño, has raised concerns that the state’s apple crop could be affected next year as well.

Jammu and Kashmir is India’s leading apple producer, followed by Himachal Pradesh, which accounts for around 20% to 22% of the country’s total production.

Meanwhile, the war in West Asia has also affected India’s fresh fruit exports this year. The region is traditionally a key market for Indian fruits and vegetables, but logistics disruptions have also affected shipments to other countries and regions.

Among India’s main fruit exports, banana exports fell by 45.39% to $95.04 million between April and August 2026, while fresh grape exports declined by nearly 27% to $50.87 million. Mango exports saw a similar decline.

However, India’s overall merchandise exports continued to grow, rising by 23.9% to $44.4 billion in September 2026 from $36.08 billion in September 2025. Cumulative merchandise exports during April–September 2026–27 stood at $259.89 billion, up 18.51% from $219.30 billion during April–September 2025–26.