16/03/2025
Value addition of Apple is our most cherished dream to avoid postharvest losses due to strategically placed apple growing areas of Kashmir and insufficient Cold storage facilities . Waste to value, waste to wealth and value addition is the alternative to arrest postharvest losses.
To some extend we have been successful in motivating the farmers that innovative marketing trends in value addition of Apple can help them in over coming the huge production costs and losses.
Valley top foods from Kulgam had catched the opportunity and converting C grade Apple into apple chips and cider vinegar concentrate.
Some youths got mini juice plants and provide fresh Apple juice to the tourists enroute to Pahalgam and our idea to generate employment and value addition is gaining currency.
Similarly more farmers were connected with dynamics entrepreneurs to sell C Apple to for Apple chips which are available on big scale and raw material made available to the unit holder who happens to be a good friend and Anglo Indian by origin.
Our local FPC members at Baramulla under flagship Merakhsahib FPC traveled extra miles and purchased Apple pulper from Innofarms to convert C grade Apple into Apple Pulp and value addition is now gaining more acceptance in food industry.
Now to top it all our scientist from SKUAST-K Madam Saima Paul under her startup Noonley had introduced Apple Kehwa which is creating ripples in the consumer market because such products get genuineness from premier institutions and consumers are happy.
On a lighter and to sum up as where we stand on the Apple map of India, we may observe a upward trend in Apple production after implementation of HD Fruit cultures in our Fruit industry. More value addition options need to be explored to help our farmers. Increasing productivity is a challenge for our farmers. Either we should have proper postharvest infrastructure and innovative value addition incubation centres or our farmers must know the art of value addition as quickly as possible, otherwise postharvest losses will always haunt us.
Apple production in Jammu and Kashmir remains a key contributor to the Union Territory’s economy, with an estimated 20.40 LMT produced in 2022-23, 20.64 LMT in 2023-24, and 20.56 LMT in 2024-25. The export of apples from the region has also been a focus, with 12.07 LMT exported in 2021-22, 17.48 LMT in 2022-23, 18.57 LMT in 2023-24, and 13.13 LMT exported up to February 2025 but still more needs to be done to arrest postharvest losses due to insufficient cold storege facilities within the UT and around many fruit bowls.
To enhance post-harvest storage and minimize losses, efforts are underway to expand controlled atmosphere (CA) storage facilities. At present, Jammu and Kashmir’s total CA storage capacity stands at 2.70 LMT, with an additional 0.37 LMT being added this year, bringing the total to 3.07 LMT. The primary CA storage hubs are located at the Industrial Growth Centre in Lassipora, Pulwama, and the Industrial Estate in Aglar, Shopian, with further expansion planned in collaboration with the Industries and Commerce Department but fruit growers make music because required CA storage needs to be enhanced to atleast 7 LMT to avoid glut in the consumer markets and help Apple growers of other districts to such such facilities near their farming activities.
We as postharvest management aids try to educate farmers to go for value addition of their Apple into Apple chips, Apple cider vinegar, Apple Juice and Apple Pulp.
We have been successful in motivating our innovative farmers and entrepreneurs to value add the apple to enhance income and now our professionals from SKUAST-K had started innovative way to convert Apple into Apple Kehwa ,under branding Noonley Apple Kehwa.
