SHIMLA:  The apple farmers demand that the rate of imported plant material "should not exceed Rs 300 per plant and the horticulture department should only sell the certified plant material to farmers as the rate of their survival is low". 

Even as the state government has yet to appoint the Horticulture Minister, the Horticulture Department has shown hurry to sell the plants  from December 15 onwards.

The farmers also complain that sale of plants at horticultural-progeny-cum-demonstration  centers at block level is not transparent.

The respective HDOs even keep the dried and rejected plants at the sites and sell them to the gullible farmers without giving them the bill and certified plants.

There is an alleged nexus of "certain private nursery- operators and the field staff as they get the best plants while the gullible farmers end up getting the second rated plants at the same rate, they charged.     

Though the spokesperson denied this, but the  farmers demand transparency and the certified plants as guaranttted under the Rs 1143 Crore Horticulture Development Project. 

This corrupt practice should be stopped and HDOs should be taken to task on this, the farmers demand.    

This year, the plants consist of the improved varieties of imported and self-produced fruit plants.

The department claims that the sale rates of imported are kept at Post Entry Quarantine sites Apple, Pear and Peach (Grafted). It will be sold at Rs. 400 per plant.

But the farmers demand that the department should  sell the certified plants as the rates are too high and the survival rates of plants are not up to the mark".  

They have urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to direct the department to reduce the rates and take action against the erring HDOs.   

According to the spokesperson of the department, these plants are self-produced. The plants were also imported from USA, Italy and Netherlands as per the demand of horticulturists.

Department says that it has a stock of about 3-4 lakh grafted and 7-8 lakh clonal root stocks of apple and the disease-free plant material of Pear, Peach, Plum, Cherry, Apricot for the farmers.

These plants would be sold under Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project. The department also have general standard plants.

As per guidelines, these plants would be sold on first come first serve basis.

The preference shall be given to those cluster farmers who have already submitted their demand through respective Development Block Officers of the Horticulture Department and have been included in the World Bank funded HP-HD Project.

The plants would also be provided to other non-cluster farmers afterwards, if available.

The plant material would be provided at the door steps of the farmers after proper packing.

The department says the farmers will get the apple varieties, grafted on vigorous or semi-dwarfing or semi vigorous or dwarfing clonal rootstocks.

He said that the sale rates would also be displayed at the sale centres and website of the department.

However grafted plants produced by department from imported stock including Apple, Cherry, Pear, Plum, Walnut, Apricot etc. would be sold at Rs. 150 per plant, whereas the clonal root stocks of Apple would be sold at Rs. 100 per plant. 

List of varieties:

These include Jeromine, Red Velox, Red Cap valtod, Oregon Spur-II, Super Chief, King Roat, Granny Smith, Schlect Spur, Scarlet Spur-II, Chelan Spur, Early Red One, Dark Baron Gala, Redlum Gala, Galegala, Buck eye gala, Brook Field Gala, Galaval , Gala Schniga Schnico, Gala Simmons, Gale Gala Malaga, Gala venue Fengal, Gala Ultima.

 Auvil Early fuji, Red Fuji, Sun Fuji, Gibson Golden, Golden Del, Ginger Gold, etc. Ambrosia, Baigent Gala, Enterprise, Red cameo.

Crimson Crisp, Crimson Topaz, Crown Empire, Cameron Select Honey Crisp, Royal Red Honey Crisp, Premier Honey Crisp, Rubin Star Jona Gold, Braeburn, Red cameo, Ultima Gala, Aztec Fuji Yellow Newton, Snow Drift, Whitney Crab, Manchurian Crab.

Apple(clonal root stocks) EMLA-7, EMLA-9, EMLA-26, EMLA-106, EMLA-111, MM-111, M9T337, Pajam-2 , Bud-9, Bud-10, Bud-118 etc are available for selling.