Punjab Newsline, Shimla, October 6-
ChM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said here today that the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) has processed a record 1,545 metric tons (MT) of apple juice concentrate across its three plants as of October 4, 2024. He said, “It includes 814 MT from the Parala plant in Shimla district, 653 MT from the Parwanoo plant in Solan district, and 78 MT from the Jarol plant in Mandi district.” He said that HPMC is crushing nearly all of the apples procured, with minimal fruit being sold through auctions. 92 percent of the apples procured this season are being processed, due to strict adherence to procurement standards.
The Chief Minister stated that under the MIS this year, a total of 29,200 MT of apples have been procured in the state. Of this, 19,437 MT were purchased through 206 procurement centres HPMC, while 9,764 MT were procured through 109 centres of Himfed. The apple season in the state is ongoing and procurement under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) continues, with processing expected to increase as procurement grows. In an effort to enhance the quality of apple procurement under the MIS, HPMC has piloted the purchase of 1,219 MT of apples from farmers using crates.