India’s Himachal Pradesh forecasts apple crop of 436,000 tons

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Apple production in Himachal Pradesh is expected to decline in 2026 following insufficient winter snowfall, unseasonal spring rain, hailstorms, and temperature fluctuations that affected orchards across the state’s main growing regions.

According to the Himachal Pradesh Department of Horticulture, production is forecast to fall from 699,000 tons in 2025 to 436,000 tons in 2026, equivalent to about 21.5 million boxes. Apple orchards cover 116,338 hectares, representing about 49 per cent of the state’s total fruit-growing area of 237,000 hectares.

Director of Horticulture Satish Kumar said: “The area under apple cultivation is about 1.16 lakh hectares, about 49 per cent of the total area under fruit crops, which is 2.37 lakh hectares, and production was 6.99 lakh MT in 2025, which is estimated to drop to 4.36 lakh MT during 2026.”

The Fruit Vegetable Flower Growers Association estimates production could be lower than the official forecast. Association president Harish Chauhan said: “The state government has estimated that apple production has fallen by 40 per cent, but according to us the production is down by 60 per cent. The government says there would be 2.15 crore boxes, but we estimate around 1.80 crore boxes. Last year it was 3.49 crore boxes, and in 2024-25 it was 2.51 crore.”

Chauhan said the lower crop was the result of unfavourable weather conditions, including inadequate snowfall, delayed rainfall, high temperatures, insufficient chilling hours, and hailstorms. “As there is a lack of irrigation facilities, we are dependent on the weather. Thus, there is a dire need to strengthen irrigation systems. Temperatures were reasonably high with inadequate chilling hours.”

He added that traditional apple varieties require between 1,200 and 1,600 hours below 7 degrees Celsius, while early varieties require about 600 chilling hours.

Stone fruit production, including apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums, is also expected to decline from 24,622 tons in 2025 to about 23,000 tons in 2026.

Growers have called on the state government to expand irrigation infrastructure and increase awareness of crop insurance programmes to help offset weather-related production losses.

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Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies