Shimla, July 28 - An apple a day may not keep the doctor away. Desperate farmers in Himachal Pradesh are resorting to ripening the juicy fruit with an overdose of chemicals that could harm the human body.

'Most farmers in apple-growing states are under pressure from middlemen to ensure regular supply of apple much before its due time as early arrival is highly remunerative. For this, they start ripening the fruit well in advance by using certain chemicals,' S.P. Bhardwaj, joint director at the Solan-based Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, told IANS.

'This time, however, the farmers are a bit panicky as their crop has been damaged drastically due to weather vagaries. They are trying to get better prices for their apples by bringing the produce in the market much before its due time of arrival.

'For this, they are spraying an overdose of chemicals on the plants to enhance colour development (of the fruit) and to speed up its ripening process,' he added.

Apple is the main cash crop of Himachal Pradesh with more than 90 percent of the produce going to the domestic market.

As per records of the state horticulture department, the prolonged dry spell during winter and summer has badly hit the apple crop in the state. The total production would be 35-40 percent lower than last year.

State horticulture director Gurdev Singh said the total production in the state this season would be around 18 million boxes of 25 kg each, considerably less than last year's 26 million crates.

According to Bhardwaj, ethylene - a naturally occurring plant hormone - is a chemical commonly used by farmers to enhance colour development in apples.