By IANS,
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.
“Initially, the juice will be provided on selected trains. It would be later provided to passengers of other trains too,” he said.
Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corp (HPMC) is marketing apple juice across the country.
The hill state is one of India’s major apple-producing regions, with more than 200,000 families engaged in the cultivation of the fruit.
The state produced 5.1 lakh tonnes of apple in 2008-09. It was 5.93 lakh tonnes in 2007-08.
The apple economy of the state is around Rs.1,500 crore and is flourishing mainly in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba districts.