Himachal Pradesh apple output expected to fall below 15 million boxes, potentially its lowest in a decade

Himachal Pradesh’s apple output is expected to fall below 15 million boxes in the 2026 season, potentially its lowest in a decade. As of 3 November 2026, 13,744,706 A-grade apple boxes had reached markets in the state and other states. The Horticulture Department had estimated total production at 21,835,350 boxes.

Production and procurement

The projected output would be below the previous decade’s reported low of 18,430,150 boxes in 2018–19. The official apple procurement under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) was scheduled to end on 10 November. A-grade apples from higher-altitude areas may still be sent to markets after procurement closes.

Important Facts for Exams

• Clonal propagation: Commercial apple cultivars are clonally grafted onto rootstocks because seed-grown trees vary from their parents and often lack desirable fruit characteristics.
• Rootstock effects: Apple rootstocks can be selected to alter tree size, winter hardiness, insect and disease resistance, and the resulting tree’s soil preference.
• Triploid reproduction: Triploid apple cultivars face a reproductive barrier: their three chromosome sets divide unevenly during meiosis, producing unequal chromosome segregation.