SHIMLA: Apple farmers will get per kg prices for the apple in Himachal Pradesh, declared Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The state agricultural department has issued notification empowering the DCs, SDMS, Tehsildar naib Tehsildar, secretary of APMC to enforce APMC Act. 

All Mandis in Himachal pradesh will buy the fruits and agriculture produce as weight of the produce.

The apple farmers will pack fruit in universal cartons or telescopic cartons but it should not weigh more than 24 kg from this apple season. 

The apmc and arhtiyas will install weighting machines  to ensure that apple is sold as per kg in all markets of Himachal Pradesh.

The HP Agriculture marketing board has issued circular to this effecting making it mandatory for arhtiyas and APMCs to ensure that the produce is sold as per weight.

The violators will attract punishment under the APMC Act.

The PGA and orher farners bodues have welcome the decision. 

it is laudable that the Congress government has implemented the long pending demand of the farmers in four months time, said PGA president Lokinder Bishta. 

Talking ing to the media persons here today Sukhu, who was accompanied by horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Education Minister Rohit Thakur said the government has decided that the farmers will get per kg price in the Apple mandis this season.

He said the issue of implementing the universal carton this season is an active stage of consultation and the government has exploring whether it would be possible to operationalise this.

Sukhu said the farmers would get the remunerative prices for their produce as they would implement the prices per kg in the markets across the state this season.

Apple farmers have been demanding perk kg price for the fruit over the years, besides implementation of universal carton for the packaging in the state.

In Kullu Mandis the apple is sold per kg, so is the practice in whole sale markets abroad. 

But it is the apple from Shimla which is sold as per carton in the mandis in Shimla, Solan, Parala, Parwanoo and Chandigarh and Delhi.