Farmers of the area have claimed that Kinnaur’s traditional produce like dry fruits and organic products, which were once the major attractions of the Lavi Fair held here, are gradually losing their place to apples. The production of traditional Kinnauri products is declining as more people are shifting to cultivating new varieties of apples, said dry fruit vendors who continue to sell their wares in Rampur even after the fair ends. Atul Negi of Leo village in Kinnaur, who has been bringing his produce to the fair for many years, said that earlier, he used to bring 12-15 quintals of apricots and three to four quintals of almonds.
However, this year he brought only one quintal of apricots and 30 kg of almonds. “Due to decline in production, prices are rising and producers are facing losses,” he said. Kinnauri dry fruits like almonds, apricots, pine nuts, raj mash, peas, black cumin and shilajit were available in the fair, but in much less quantity compared to previous years. The high prices made them unaffordable for many people, and most people were unable to purchase these items.
Yashwant Singh, a farmer of Rispa village, said that he has been bringing dry fruits and organic products to the fair for the last four-five years. However, this year, they noticed a lack of enthusiasm in the market, with fewer customers showing interest in their goods. He said that now more and more people are planting apples on their vacant land. Horticulture experts suggest that production of dry fruits requires more labor and the cost of production is higher, while new varieties of apples are developing rapidly and giving good results. As a result, the area under dry fruits is shrinking.
Horticulture Department expert Dr. Ashwani Kumar said on Tuesday that the yield of newly imported apple varieties is better and starts bearing fruits within four to five years, due to which the growers get quick returns. “Farmers are increasingly moving away from traditional produce, with many turning to apple farming every year,” he said. Dr. Rajesh Jaiswal, subject expert of the Agriculture Department, said that efforts are being made to encourage the cultivation of traditional produce by giving subsidies to the farmers. He emphasized that these products have high nutritional and medicinal value, which is highly beneficial for health.
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