Apple production in Himachal Pradesh benefited hugely from state support in the 1970s and 1980s. Peasant movements were successful in raising the support prices for the apple crop in the early 1990s. Small landholdings and low productivity, coupled with the withdrawal of state support have raised the cost of production substantially, and denied remunerative prices to the poor and marginal growers. The entry of big private players, the deteriorating transport system, changes in the climate and absence of adequate insurance are all contributing to a major crisis in the apple economy.
