Manipur’s Sweet Apples

Manipur has hit news headlines again – and this time it is not for some reason. As reported prominently on the front page of the Sunday edition of this newspaper, farmers in the Senapati and Ukhrul districts of Manipur have harvested apples which are as sweet as those grown in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, if not more so. This year, as reported, is the second season that Manipur’s hill farmers have harvested apples, an entirely new horticultural crop introduced a few years ago there. This proves that Manipur’s hill districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, and Tamenglong offer perfect conditions – cool climate, rich soil, and high altitude – which are ideal for cultivating crunchy and sweet apples packed with health benefits. Traditionally known for cultivating rice, maize, and pulses, this is indicative of how young farmers of Manipur can take to apple farming on a larger scale in order to meet its demand in the Northeastern region. While there’s no specific data on apple imports solely for the Northeast, the region is said to consume about 0.80 lakh tonnes of apples per annum. While Arunachal Pradesh produces only about 65,000 tonnes every year, the rest all comes from outside, including from Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Italy, and Poland. High cost of import, driven by global inflation, import duties and transportation, in addition to middlemen and goonda tax, makes them a luxury for most people in the region. Of about 24 lakh tonnes of apples grown in India, Kashmir alone accounts for 75%, with Himachal Pradesh growing about 20%. While Arunachal Pradesh produces about 6.5 thousand tonnes of apples every year, the Northeast consumes about one lakh tonnes of apples every year.