Controllable Parameters of Profitability with Reference to The Apple Industry of Himachal Pradesh

In this study, an attempt has been made to understand the apple industry of Himachal Pradesh by studying the two largest apple producing districts of the state- Shimla and Kullu. The aim of the research paper is to analyze the basic land utilization in the two districts and explore whether the parameters of size of land holding, quantity and quality of harvest influence the profitability of a farm to any significant extent. This was done by carrying out a survey in the two largest apple producing districts namely Shimla and Kullu in 2009. It was anticipated that the study would uncover some strategic areas which if augmented by customized training would lead to an overall improvement of skills in such areas thereby improving productivity and profitability of the orchards. The objective of the study is to indicate those controllable factors (which if optimally manipulated) have the potential to prolong the life cycle, productivity, profitability and sustainability of Himachal Pradesh apple industry. The sample size for the survey was 100; 50 from each district. The findings of the survey were further supplemented with secondary data. The techniques used for inferential analysis were ‘Karl Pearson's Correlation analysis’, paired and unpaired ‘T’ and ‘Z’ tests.