Apple growers of Himachal Pradesh face challenge in absence of labour from Nepal

The apple growers of Himachal Pradesh are currently facing a labour shortage. Almost three-fourths of the migrant labour force that traditionally works in the orchards of Himachal Pradesh comes from Nepal.

The movement of labour begins from April and goes on till the end of September.

The average worker usually takes a bus from Nepal into Uttarakhand and moves towards Himachal. However, this year, this mass movement of workers did not take place.

Two factors could have played a role, the first and obvious one being the Covid-19 pandemic. The other factor could be the tense relations between the two countries, which resulted in the border being sealed off, according to a report by India Today.

At the apple orchard, Nepali workers are usually deployed to do the task of plucking, packing, and transporting the fruit. They are considered essential in carrying out demanding and strenuous tasks like transporting the produce from the fruit plantation to the closest road.

“There is an 80 per cent shortage of labour in our village this year, posing a challenge to most growers. People are doing the hard work themselves now, and there are also a few labourers from within the state and from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” said Devender Katyal from Kumarsain told the Indian Express.

Others have tasked immediate and extended family to lend a helping hand in these trying times.

“Labour was unavailable, so the whole family got involved and we’re done with the work already. The yield this time was also only half of last year, so it was easier for us,” Prakash told IE.

Due to a shortage of workers, wage rates have also been affected. According to India Today, while the average Nepali worker earlier made Rs 1,000 a day, this year’s compensation could go as high as Rs 1,500 - 1,700.

Earlier, the Himachal Pradesh government had sanctioned the movement of workers towards orchards, even allowing them to home quarantine at the sites where they were to work. But due to a sharp rise in Covid positive cases, suspected to be caused by workers, it has now made institutional quarantine mandatory.