The state’s Horticulture Department itself has identified nearly five varieties of cherry and about a dozen new varieties of pears, apricot and peach as replacement.

In fact, some of apple areas like Kotgarh in Shimla’s upper hills have emerged as the biggest producers of cherry. More than 35 percent of the apple orchards there now have cherry trees. Orchard owners in neigbouring Kotkhai, Narkanda and Matiyana are interested. In Rajgarh pears, plums and apricots are replacing apples. Kiwi fruit now grows in Kullu, Shimla and Solan.

The apple growers are also being persuaded to switch to hardier American varieties like gale-gala and red-fugi. Says J .P Negi, Principal Secretary (Horticulture): “We have tried to provide sufficient stock of the plant material for new foreign apple varieties that can survive climate change.”
—Ashwani Sharma

INDUSTRY:
CLEAN LUCRE
Two Indian corporates, one from Gujarat, the other from Haryana, both in the refrigerants business, are leaders in carbon trading under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Clean Development Mechanism is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol that allows developed countries to invest in emission reducing projects in developing countries as the cost of reducing a unit of carbon emission is very high in developed countries. In fact, Vadodara-based Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited and Gurgaon based SRF Limited are seeing their bottom lines grow by selling carbon credits, rather than through refrigerants. This at minimal technology replacement cost that go into their CDM projects.

Between them, the two account for 74 per cent of India’s total of Certified Emission Reduction (CERs). Against a profit after tax of around Rs 130 crore last year from its CFC business, GFL Executive Director Deepak Asher claims a potential profit of up to Rs 400 crore per annum. The company realised a neat Rs 350 crore last year by selling its approved credits. SRF has been making over Rs 100 crore each quarter by selling carbon credits since 2005-6.

... contd.