IN Himachal Pradesh, the apple economy is about Rs 5,000 crore. It is the backbone of the state’s economy. During the past few years due to the implementation of the neoliberal economic policies by the successive governments in the state, the horticulture  sector especially the apple industry has been neglected. The subsidies on fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides were withdrawn. The research and development projects were also neglected. The budgetary provisions on research in horticulture universities have also reduced.

The present BJP government withdrew the subsidies on insecticides and pesticides and stopped the supply of cheap medicines for the spray on apple crops so that the apple trees are protected from various types of fungal and bacterial diseases.

The spray schedule issued by the horticulture department was not followed by the apple growers due to the non-availability of the medicines from the horticulture department at block and lower levels. In the open market the medicines are very costly so the apple growers were/are not spraying the required medicines in their orchards.

The spray schedule is issued every month by the department of horticulture to check the spread of major apple diseases like apple scab, alternaria(fungus)  and monsoon blotch.

The BJP government after coming to power in the state is continuously propagating zero budget agriculture in the state. On the name of zero budget, it has completely stopped the subsidies on insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers and other materials. Many companies on the name of organic materials are exploiting the farmers.

Due to these reasons, apple scab, which is a dangerous disease of the apple crop has appeared in many parts of the state after a couple of decades. One of the major reasons for the recurrence of apple scab is the non- implementation of the schedule spray on apple crop against the scab. This year-2019-20, due to the favourable environmental conditions for its outbreak(moist summer), the scab has hit the crop in a massive manner throughout the state. It has infected about 60 per cent orchards in the state. This disease and that too in such a widespread manner is witnessed after 1982 in the state. It is going to cause huge loss to the apple growing farmers.

Apple scab is caused by a fungus Venturia inaequalis. The fungus remains over winters mainly in the infected fallen leaves on the orchard floor through the formation of pseudothecia, which produces ascospores during the spring. After deposition of these spores on leaves or fruit surfaces, the ascospores germinate in film moisture.

The minimum wet period needed for infection is nine hours at 17 degrees centigrade. Once the infection has occurred, the fungus produces conidiospores  and conidia. Sporulating lesions become visible approximately 9-17 days after infection depending upon the temperature, leaf moisture and relative humidity. Minimum humidity is between 60-70 per cent. Upon sporulation, conidia are dispersed to leaf and fruit tissue by wind and splashing rain. It also spreads by  mechanical ways. Scab symptoms are observed on leaves, petioles, fruits and twigs. It destroys the leaves and the fruits as scab lesions. The scab infected fruits are mis-shapen and serious cracking also appears on the fruits.

The disease spreads very fast and not only destroys the present crop but also the crops for the future.

The spread of apple scab is prevented when in the whole infected area the spray schedule is followed. But if a single farmer also misses out the schedule, the infection spreads again to other orchards.

Therefore without cheap medicines affordable to all the apple growers the apple scab cannot be eradicated.

Though the horticulture university of the state has issued an advisory to the apple growers according to which specified medicines should be sprayed to prevent the spread of apple scab.  But these medicines are very costly, which the farmers cannot afford.

The Himachal Kisan Sabha held protest demonstrations in the apple growing belt on July 20,2020 demanding that free and subsidised medicines should be provided to the farmers immediately to prevent the spread of apple scab.