SHIMLA, Himachal Pradesh – The Apple Farmers’ Federation of India (AFFI) has expressed profound shock and dismay at the ongoing felling of apple trees by the Himachal Pradesh (HP) forest department. This action, reportedly carried out under the instructions of a High Court order dated July 17, 2025, has sparked outrage among apple growers across the state.
The state committee of AFFI, the HP Seb Utpadak Sangh, announced plans to mobilize all affected apple growers for a "massive rally" to the Shimla Secretariat on July 29. The farmers will demand an immediate end to what they describe as "terrorizing evictions" and the felling of mature, 50-year-old apple trees.
Reports indicate that approximately 4,000 apple trees across 300 bighas (60 acres) of land, allegedly encroached upon in the Shimla-Rohru apple belt, are slated for destruction. This comes just two months before the crucial harvesting season in September, raising severe concerns about the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. Disturbingly, trees have already been felled and even houses sealed in villages such as Chaithla and Sarahan. It has also been reported that the forest department has evicted growers belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
AFFI has vehemently condemned this "inhumane action," asserting that it directly impacts the livelihood of apple growers and contravenes Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to a dignified livelihood. The federation further argues that this action negates the provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, which allows forest dwellers to hold and use the land.
The federation points to the "wholesale application" of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) of 1980 in Himachal Pradesh as a major contributing factor to the current crisis. They highlight the paradox that only 12.7 percent of the state's land is available for agricultural purposes, despite more than two-thirds of the population being dependent on agricultural and allied activities.
