Himachal’s Apple Farmers and the Climate Crisis

Introduction: Apples in Distress

Himachal Pradesh, known as the “apple bowl of India,” has long relied on apple cultivation as a primary source of income for thousands of farmers. With cool temperatures, hilly terrain, and suitable rainfall, the region has historically produced high-quality apples, especially in districts like Shimla, Kullu, and Kinnaur. However, over the past decade, apple farming in Himachal has been under serious threat—not from pests or market prices, but from the escalating climate crisis.

Erratic weather, warming temperatures, unseasonal rainfall, and reduced snowfall are directly impacting apple yield, quality, and production cycles, pushing farmers into uncertainty.

Changing Climate, Changing Altitudes

Apples require a certain number of “chilling hours”—cold weather time below 7°C—to flower and bear fruit properly. Traditionally, the mid-hill regions of Himachal received sufficient chilling hours, allowing apple trees to thrive. But rising average temperatures have significantly reduced these chilling hours in the last decade.

As a result, apple cultivation is shifting to higher altitudes where temperatures are cooler. This shift has caused farmers in lower and mid-hill regions to experience poor flowering, smaller fruit sizes, and reduced yields. Places that were once prime apple-producing areas are no longer suitable, while higher-altitude villages that once grew peas or potatoes are now experimenting with apples.