Shimla, Aug 6 - Poor rainfall this monsoon and poorer snowfall last winter have hit apple production in Himachal Pradesh. But the farmers are not complaining, as the fruit's prices are shooting north.

Every day, trucks carrying hundreds of apple-filled crates from Shimla, Kullu, Mandi and Chamba districts head for Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Lucknow.

But, say officials, the total production of around 18 million crates of 25 kilograms each this season will be considerably less than last year's 26 million crates. They say this is due to lack of moisture in the soil, as there was very poor snowfall last winter and the monsoon this year has also brought scanty rainfall so far.

'The apple season, though much delayed, has finally begun. The fruit has started reaching across the country and is fetching record prices,' state horticulture director Gurdev Singh told IANS.

'This year, a 25-kilo box of superior varieties of apples like Red Chief and Super Chief is being sold at Rs.2,000-Rs.2,200 in Delhi, while Royal Delicious is fetching Rs.1,600-Rs.1,700,' Singh said.

According to him, this is almost double last year's rates.

Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta said 300,000 boxes of apples have been transported out of the state so far.

During this period last year, 2.5 million boxes had been despatched.

'We have reports of bad harvest in various areas, but the farmers are getting record prices, which will definitely compensate their losses,' the minister said.

Pratap Chauhan, a farmer based at Kotkhai in upper Shimla, said apple production this season has declined almost 50 percent, but he is not complaining.