The Himachal Pradesh government has offered to provide universal cartons to apple growers at Rs 38.50 to Rs 42 a box. The state government has taken this step in bid to offer safe transport of the fruit. Last week the state has also enhanced support price for apple by Rs six a kilo.
These universal cartons are considered best as it can pack 20 kgs of apple and help preserve them during long distance transportation. The apple growers have also been instructed by the state to give their requirement for universal cartons to centres run under market intervention scheme by HIMFED.
Further for packing the crop, Himachal Pradesh Industrial Marketing Federation (HIMFED) is also in process of making available telescopic cartons to farmers at Rs 36 to 38 a piece. The BJP government has recently hiked support price of apple by 75 paise a kilo.
Apple, the backbone of the state economy, provides livehood to more than 1.50 lakh families in the state and contributes Rs 3,000 crore to the state gross domestic product.