As summer reaches its height in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, the apple orchards around Shirar village are bursting with life. Yet despite this seasonal revival, local farmers are anxious. Another winter of low snowfall and unusually warm temperatures has cast doubt over the upcoming harvest, and many fear another year of disappointing yields.
Apples are a cornerstone of Himachal Pradesh’s rural economy. The fruit’s orchards cover half the land used for horticulture, with apples accounting for nearly 84% of total fruit production by weight, according to the state’s latest economic survey. The sector is worth over INR 50 billion (USD 570 million), and approximately 250,000 families depend on the crop, directly or indirectly, for their livelihoods. But production has fallen sharply over the past decade, from a high of just over 777,000 metric tonnes in 2015 to nearly 507,000 tonnes in 2023. This downward trend continued last year, with the state reporting a harvest of just 497,000 tonnes.
Farmers and agricultural experts alike point to climate change as one of the main causes of this decline. Decreased snowfall over the winter months has impacted year-round water availability, while rising temperatures are affecting the critical “chilling hours” apple trees require. Such periods of cold – usually defined as hours spent below 7C – are essential for healthy bud formation and fruit development. Traditional varieties, including those grown around Shirar like red delicious, need up to 1,400 chilling hours per season. In recent years, winters have failed to deliver those hours, impacting yields as well as the quality of the crop.
The lack of snow and warmer temperatures are also increasing the prevalence of pests and fungal diseases, such as apple scab. Farmers are having to use more pesticides and chemical fertilisers in response, driving up costs just as their sales are decreasing.
Erratic and extreme weather add to the strain. Hailstorms, now an annual occurrence, damage blossoms and immature fruit, prompting many farmers to invest in protective netting. Heavier monsoon rains are also wreaking havoc, making it harder for farmers to transport their harvested crops to markets. Himachal Pradesh experienced a particularly devastating summer in 2023, when landslides and flash floods claimed hundreds of lives and caused over INR 100 billion (USD 1.14 billion) worth of damage.
In Shirar, nestled in the hills of the Kullu Valley – one of the state’s main apple-producing regions – the impact of declining harvests is acutely felt. Many of the village’s 360 families rely on the apple trade for a living, and most are involved in the sector in some way. When Dialogue Earth visited Shirar last harvest time, every able-bodied adult seen in the village was busy working in the orchards. Although the harvest appeared bountiful, orchard owner Shyamsunder Thakur says his yields were down approximately 50%, earning him only INR 500,000 (USD 5,698) for the season – half his typical earnings.
To help, there are various schemes and subsidies from both the state and central governments, but farmers in Shirar say they make very little difference. Instead, they are trying to adapt. Some, like Thakur, are experimenting with newer apple varieties that require fewer chilling hours. Others are switching to alternative fruits like plums and persimmons. But few are optimistic, and many say they are discouraging their children from following in their footsteps. They can see apple orchards disappearing from nearby villages, and fear this may soon be Shirar’s fate too.
Production credits:
Director and editor: Kabir Naik, Sunny Side South
Local fixer: Hari Thakur
Assistant cinematographer: Lalit Jorwal
Copyright notice:
This video is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence. For a copy of the video file or a clipreel of the footage used, please contact: [email protected].
