Himachal Pradesh mulls manufacturing manure from rotting apples

With more than 10% of the apples procured by the government from farmers rotting at collection centres, the Himachal Pradesh government is mulling using the spoiled fruits for manufacture of manure.

"The State Horticulture department is in touch with YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry for technical cooperation to make manure out of the decayed apples," director of Horticulture Gurdev Singh said.

Kashmir Chand, managing director of Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce, Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd (HPMC) said trial (for manufacturing manure from spoiled apples) was expected to start from this season.

This has been planned with a view that spoiled fruit could be utilised to recover at least a part of the cost incurred on procurement, Chand added.

The HPMC MD said about 10% of the apples purchased by the state government under market intervention scheme (MIS) get spoiled due to rains and long travelling period of the fruit from hinterland to the collection centres.

The hill state has witnessed record production of apples this year, which is expected to be about 3.2 crore boxes (one box comprising about 20 kg fruit). An all time high procurement of over 60,000 tonne apples is expected under the MIS scheme this current year.

Senior scientist of the YS Parmar university GP Upadhyaya, who specialises in organic farming, said that the apple manure would be much superior in quality because of high percentage of nitrogen found in the fruit.

Further the high sugar content would facilitate microbial activity ensuring speed conversion to manure, he added. Vermi compost would be prepared by mixing apple, cow dung and biomass (grass clippings for farm waste) in equal proportions, he said.

The conversion would be 60% which means that the produce of one kg of apple would help manufacture about 600 grams of manure, Upadhyaya added.

The scientist said he had submitted report about feasibility of preparing manure out of decayed apples to the state government and  manufacture was expected to start in 2-3 weeks at four places in the state having large collection centres of apples under MIS.