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SHIMLA, India, Dec 12 (AFP): India will import high- yield apple trees from the United States and Italy to replace century-old orchards in the northern hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, officials said today.
The move is aimed at boosting production in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh which grows almost all of the country's apples, but faces competition from European and US imports, said R.P. Sharma, Himachal Pradesh state horticulture director.
"Fifteen new apple varieties grown in the US and Italy including pink lady, gale gala, super chief, honey crisp and honey dew besides 12,000 marting murton root stalks are to be imported soon," Sharma said.
"While the young apple trees are to be distributed to the farmers as soon as they arrive, the martin murton root stalks will be grown and multiplied in the state horticulture department nurseries and distributed later to farmers," Sharma said.
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