Why India still imports apples; How Magic Bus is helping rural women
If India is growing record quantities of apples, why is it importing more of them than ever? In other news, the Rural Livelihood Programme of Magic Bus India Foundation is helping women across seven states to become entrepreneurs through locally tailored livelihood programmes.
India remains a major importer of apples despite producing record quantities of the fruit. The country imports close to 5.6 lakh tonnes of apples annually, generating an import bill of $418 million, which has increased almost fortyfold from under $10 million two decades ago. The primary issue lies not in the volume of production, but in the timing of apple harvests and the preservation of fruit beyond the harvest season, which spans approximately four months from August to November.
This eight-month gap between harvest and market value leads to substantial losses and a continued reliance on imports. Magic Bus, a social impact organization, is addressing this challenge by empowering rural women in India through its Rural Livelihood Programme. This initiative targets economically vulnerable communities and provides women with life skills, entrepreneurial training, and employment opportunities.
By identifying marginalized families and connecting them with livelihood resources tailored to local market demands, Magic Bus aims to enable women to become entrepreneurs, thus reducing their dependency on import bills and contributing to economic growth in rural areas.
Written by urgent.news from YourStory's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
