Increase import duty on apple juice concentrate: Himachal

October 11th, 2009 SHIMLA - The decline in apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh has left apple concentrate production by the state's horticulture department high and dry. The total apple production this season will be around 18 million boxes of 25 kg each, considerably less than last year's 26 million crates, Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta said.

September 23rd, 2009 SHIMLA - The apple season in Himachal Pradesh has finally picked up with 7,400,000 boxes having been transported out of the state. "The apple season is in full swing and 74 lakh boxes have reached various markets in the country.

September 6th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh wants higher import duty on apple juice concentrate from China, saying this was necessary to save the domestic industry. Apple concentrate is used for fruit juices, nectars and drinks.

September 5th, 2009 SHIMLA - An exhibition of apples was organised at Kotkhai, 60 kilometres off Shimla, to showcase special varieties of the fruit and promote them among the orchard owners and growers. The exhibition happened to mark the silver jubilee of the annual Apple Show in which 452 farmers exhibited 30 advanced varieties of apples.

September 3rd, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh will hold a two-day apple festival here from Oct 3 to promote the fruit it is famous for, Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop said Thursday. "The state government in collaboration with the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) is holding an 'Apple Festival-09' in Shimla Oct 3 to 4," Swaroop told IANS.

August 31st, 2009 SHIMLA - The low apple crop production in Himachal Pradesh has led to loss of business and unemployment in the state. Many people have been left jobless in the state, as apple crop production has come down by almost seventy five percent.

August 1st, 2009 SHIMLA - Train travellers will soon be able to quaff apple juice from Himachal Pradesh with Indian Railways deciding to serve it on important trains, state Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta said Saturday. "The state government and the railways have reached an understanding under which packaged juices made from Himachal Pradesh apples would be provided to the passengers," Bragta told reporters.

July 21st, 2009 SHIMLA - Apple growers in Shimla are a worried lot as scant rainfall has hit apple yield. "No use of the rains as majority of our crop has ruined.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's leading direct-to-home (DTH) service provider DishTV Monday hiked the price of set-top boxes (STB) by Rs.100 each, passing on a rise in customs duty to customers. Now the STBs will cost Rs.1,590.

June 29th, 2009 SHIMLA - Pre-monsoon showers in Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh Monday brought much relief from the scorching heat, weather officials here said. "Pre-monsoon showers Monday early morning brought much relief from the prolonged heat wave in various areas of Shimla, Kangra and Mandi districts," meteorological office director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

May 23rd, 2009 KULLU - The apple crop in Kullu has been affected due to lack of adequate snowfall and rains in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. A good crop of apples requires an average of 1200-1600 'chilling hours', adequate snowfall and rainfall, and suitable temperature at the time of flowering, which this year were unfavourable.

April 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Egypt has withdrawn, with effect from April 8, a temporary import fee it imposed on cotton yarn and textiles in a move that would benefit India, one of the leading producers of cotton yarn. Egypt in January 2009 imposed a fee of 25 percent on CIF value (cost, insurance and freight) on cotton yarn and textiles for a period of one year.

January 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Drinking apple juice helped mice deliver above average performances in maze trials, which maintained the same level of mental fitness that was otherwise observed as these mice aged. Thomas B. Shea, of the Centre for Cellular Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts, and his team showed that mice receiving human equivalent of two glasses of apple juice daily for a month produced less of 'beta-amyloid,' responsible for forming plaques, commonly found in Alzheimer's disease, said a Massachusetts release.

January 15th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh will market organic manure produced from apple solid waste, a senior official said Friday. 'We will market organic manure produced from apple pomace (solid waste left after extraction of juice from fruit),' said Bharat Khera, managing director of Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Processing and Marketing Corp (HPMC).

January 6th, 2009 SHIMLA - Farmers and horticulture experts are hoping that the light to moderate snowfall in the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh during the past few days after a long dry spell would ensure a good apple harvest this year too. 'The onset of the snowfall season in the apple-growing belt would prove to be a boon for farmers.