Apple prices have fallen due to lack of government intervention: Ex-Cong MLA Rohit Thakur

Former Congress chief parliamentary secretary Rohit Thakur on Thursday said that lack of government intervention had resulted in a steep fall in the prices of apples from ₹700 to ₹1,000 in the last three weeks.

Thakur said the prices had fallen last year as well after private players fixed the prices of the apple in the market, despite 2020 being an off year.

“The government has failed to control private companies and apple markets despite the bitter experience of last year,” he alleged, adding that a major private company had procured apples from the growers at the rate of ₹ 88 per kg, while this time they had dropped the prices to of ₹ 72 per kg.

The company reduced the prices of apples by 20% through market manipulation, he alleged adding that such practices were prevalent despite the Centre claiming that it will double the farmers’ income by 2020.

Thakur sought the intervention of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and asked the government to negotiate with the private company.

The former Jubbal-Kotkhai MLA Thakur said that the government has also failed to control the prices of apple packing material.