Papernets: New packaging solution to save apples from damage

It’s always a challenge to transport Apple safely to the market as faulty design of available trays could not help save apple from the possible damage. With the load of the upper layer in the box, apples packed in the lower part of the box usually face damages and that cost to the apple growers.

However, “Papernets Corporation” based in Bhandara in Nagpur claims to solve this riddle with its new design of apple compartment ‘called Papernets’, which can be used instead of regular apple tray in the box. Company said that you could use Papernets as partitions and box dividers in packaging activity of apple. Partitions were made of corrugated boards; recycled Kraft paper that is durable enough to protect apple from the outside load pressure.
Manufacture of Papernet claimed that with its innovative design, it provides protection to each piece of apple with its zero load features on each fruit. It is also cost efficient, flexible and eco friendly.

Papernet is easy to use and capable enough to hold even 15 rows. Papernet provide individual cell for each fruit and absorbs jerks and shocks during transit. It’s also reusable and small holes in its partition helps it to get necessary air circulation.
Papernet comes with two verities, one is Regular and other is Deluxe. Both have quality difference and Deluxe Papernet cost slightly more than Regular one. It comes with the all-regular sizes of Apple like 62mm, 67mm, 75mm, 82mm, 90mm. Its cost is much below to the regular apple trays, available in the market and can help apple growers to lower the cost of their produce.

Apple production in Himachal :

Apples grown in Himachal Pradesh are giving a run for their money to imported varieties, particularly those from the China and the US, in the Indian market although the crop has fallen prey to vagaries of the weather.

The traditional Himachali variety, Royal Delicious, is fetching a higher price than apples grown in the US, as plucking of the fruit picks up following a slow start in mid-July because of a strike by truckers.

“Good quality apples are being sold for Rs 2,500 to Rs 3000 per standard box( 20 kilograms).” said Partap Chauhan, a fruit merchant in Shimla’s Dhalli Sabzi Mandi. The American apple varieties are selling between Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,200 per standard box.

Apple farming was introduced in the region by Samuel Evan Stokes, known as Satyanand Stokes, an American missionary settled in Kotgarh, in 1916. More than 450 cultivars of apple are now grown in the hilly state .In terms of commercial importance, the main varieties are Royal Delicious, Rich-A-Red, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.

“Indians have more preference for the apple varieties which are a rich red in colour. Moreover, the traditional Royal variety has more shell life than any other". Demand for Himachal apples has also increased in the markets of Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Surat, Bengalauru etc.

According to Himachal government surveys, the state is expected to produce 19.2 million 20-kg boxes of apples in 2018-19, the second consecutive year of below-normal production. In 2017-18, apple production fell to 22.3 million boxes from the annual norm of 25 million boxes. Weather has hit apple production in Himachal Pradesh.

“Less snow reduced moisture level in the soil, it impacted the blooming of apple trees. The damage was more in the apple trees in lower elevations below 7,000 feet,” . “Drought -like conditions in May- June further affected fruit size .“ Apple growers of Himachal have been wary of imported varieties. Apple growers have for the past five years demanded an increase in customs duty on foreign apples. Currently, there is a 50% import duty on foreign apples. America and China are the two main exporters of apples to India .

“Despite being the world’s fifth largest apple producer, India has become a target market for the US apple.” said Lokinder Singh, president of the Progressive Apple Growers Association of Himachal . Last year, 250,000 tonnes of apple were imported, mainly from China, US, New Zealand, Chile, Iran and Afghanistan.

Apples produced in Himachal are also facing a threat from those being smuggled to India via Afghanistan. Apples from different countries, after reaching Iran, are being smuggled to the countries that signed the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement in 2004, including India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.