to be located geographically in more exposed or marginal Impact of Climate Change areas, such as flood plains or nutrient-poor soils. The poor on the Apple Economy are less able to respond due to limited human, institutional and financial capacity and have very limited ability to of Himachal Pradesh: A Case cope with climate impacts and to adapt to a changing Study of Kotgarh Village hazard burden. In the post independence era, horticultural crops Inder Jeet Singh emerged as an important source of earning livelihood for Department of Geography, University of Jammu, Jammu, small and marginal farmers. Its role in the country’s INDIA, E-Mail:
[email protected] nutritional security, poverty alleviation and employment generation programmes is becoming increasingly Abstract. In Himachal Pradesh agro-climatic conditions are important. It not only offers wide range of options to suitable for the cultivation of variety of fruit crops. The farmers for crop diversification, but also provides ample development of these crops has greatly fulfilled the needs and scope for sustaining large number of Agro-industries objectives of socio-economic growth in the state. Among which generate huge employment opportunities. Presently various fruit crops grown in the state apple dominate in area as well as production. Himachal Pradesh is the second largest horticulture is contributing 24.5 percent of GDP from 8.5 producer of apple in India. But due to environmental change percent land area. Horticultural development was not some areas are experiencing decline in the productivity of accorded a place of priority in various development plans apple in the state.