Apple growers from Theog, Kotkhai and Jubbal met the horticulture minister on Saturday with one demand: a controlled-atmosphere store within a day's drive of their orchards.

The nearest large store is in Parwanoo, more than 90 km away. Growers say that without one they have to sell at the height of the season, when the price in the market yard is at its lowest.

"A box that sells for 1,400 rupees in August sells for 2,200 in December," said Devinder Chauhan, who grows on eight bighas above Theog. "The difference is the cold store."

The minister said a site near Theog was being surveyed and promised an answer before the harvest.