Himachal Pradesh goes for universal apple cartons

Shimla, April 27 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh, among India's major apple producers, Friday decided to introduce universal cartons to improve apple shelf life and compete with imported apples, an official here said.

The kind of packaging used earlier was not of international standards.

"The government would make available standard universal cartons in place of telescopic cartons to the fruit growers from this year for providing them better packing facility," a government spokesperson told IANS.

Initially, the cartons would be introduced on a pilot basis and if these were successful, then it would be provided every year, he added.

The government asks the growers to pack only 20 kg of fruit in the new cartons.

Himachal Pradesh is one of India's top apple-growing regions, with more than 90 percent of the produce going to the domestic market.