Low temperatures coupled with good amounts of rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand this winter raises hopes off a bumper fruit crop. It is also likely to benefit Rabi crop of wheat and barley.

Dehradun in Uttarakhand is one of the top ten wheat producers of India and the city has received over 126.9 mm of rain in the month of February itself, thanks to a multiple (five to six) western disturbances.

Good rain in February and a fresh spell of rain in March of about 28 mm is already bringing smiles to the faces of farmers who are now preparing for a good output of wheat this season.

Further plenty of snow in places like Mukteshwar, Dhanoulti and Mussoorie during the the winter months has not just made conditions perfect for a good Rabi harvest but has also helped in recharging the water levels in the reservoirs.

Meanwhile, good snowfall in Manali of up to 255.8 mm in the month of February (50% above normal) and 27 mm of rain on the first two days of March along with an ideal temperature has brought good news for the farmers in Himachal this year too. Manali received over 100 mm of rain/snow from January till now.

The average minimum temperature in apple belts of the state remained close to freezing point in January and February. Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti witnessed minimum temperatures as low as -18°C.

Fruit cultivation is the main source of income in Himachal Pradesh with 19 lakh metric tonne of fruits (apple, plum, peaches and apricot) being produced annually annually.

Source - http://www.moneycontrol.com/