1. Purchase of surplus fruit/vegetable

Department of Horticulture has established eight fruit  and vegetable processing units at Navbahar (Shimla), Nagrota Bagwan (Kangra), Shamshi (Kullu), Dhaulakuan & Rajgarh (Sirmour), Nihal (Bilaspur), Reckong Peo (Kinnaur) and Rajpura (Chamba) for manufacturing of various kind of processed products. Marketable surplus of fruits/vegetables are purchased by these units as per the requirement from the designated agencies under MIS (Market Intervention Scheme) and or from the growers at lowest rates quoted by the orchardists.

2. Sale Of Fruit & Vegetable Products

The fruit & vegetable products prepared by these 8 units are made available at very competitive prices through factory sale outlets. These unit provide the products on Whole Sale/Distributor rates to interested vendors/shopkeepers. The former rates (Whole Sale) are applicable to those who purchase a pack containing 12 pieces. However (Distributor) rate facility is available to one who buy products worth Rs.30,000/- or above.  In addition to this discount is also available to wholesalers on transportation charges or 5% of the total purchase cost (whichever is less). The sale is also carried out through departmental sale outlets located in different parts of the state and people have the facility of purchasing the delicious & nutritional products manufactured by these units at very reasonable price.  The department also offer a chance to all individual to act as a distributor for the sale of ‘himcu’ fruit products through his shop. Further, to ensure the quality of the products manufactured & sold by the department, a Quality Control & Product Standardization Laboratory has been established in the Directorate of Horticulture, Naubahar, Shimla-2 for testing the fruit & vegetable products for Physical, Chemical and Microbiological analysis of all products manufactured in Himcu units.

3. Farmer Services

a) Community Canning Services

The interested farmers/orchardist of the state can utilize the Community Canning Services provided by the departmental Fruit Canning Units, under which any individual can avail the manufacture the fruit & vegetable products from his produce for his own faciting of by paying just production changes which are minimum & nominal. For this purpose they can contact the unit Incharges of respective areas. This service is also provided by the 5 Community Fruit Processing cum Training Centres located at Tauni Devi & Nadaun (District: Hamirpur), Dehra & Nurpur (District: Kangra) and Kinoo (Una)

b) Training in Fruit/vegetable Preservation

The training in home scale fruit & vegetable preservation is imparted by the officers/officials of aforesaid units by organizing camps at various places of the state especially to women through Mahila Mandals, Panchayats, Yuva Kendras etc having atleast 25 participants in village level and 50 participants in distt. Level farmers, camp for one or two days as per demand. For this purpose the interested organization/parties can also contact the respective unit Incharges for the purpose through letter or telephonically and confirm the dates of camps to be organized in a particular area. Training is also being imparted to students of University/institutes studying post harvest & processing subjects in their degree/diploma programme. 

c) To impart Technical Knowhow

The technical guidance/knowhow is to be imparted to the interested entrepreneurs for setting-up of the fruit & vegetable processing unit by the Incharges, Fruit Processing Unit of respective area.