MARKETING STRATEGIES OF HORTICULTURE PRODUCE: A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO APPLE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING Dr. Kiran Chanda Assistant Professor Maharaja Agrasen University, Baddi, India Abstract: Marketing is all about identifying and meeting human and social needs. It is an organisational function and a set of process for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer’s relationship that benefits the organisation successful marketing. However, the marketing strategy is a plan or a course of action for obtaining the marketing objectives. It is a plan for getting the best return from resources, the selection of kind of business to engage in and the schemes for obtaining a favourable position in the business field. An intelligent marketing strategy requires a thorough understanding of the perspective of the market, an appropriation of the optimism of the industry and its special characteristics, and an analysis of the prospects of the environmental background into which the business structure and its marketing efforts fit. Developing the right marketing strategy over time requires a blend of insight, creativity, discipline and flexibility. Firms must stick to a strategy but also find new ways to constantly improve the marketing activities at every level. The present study focuses, on the marketing strategies adopted by the apple growers in the study area. Key Words: Marketing, strategy, Horticulture, Production, Apple I Introduction Himachal grow diverse varieties of fruits from tropical to temperate which help in the economic up-liftment of the rural economy by generating employment and revenue to rural population. Himachal Pradesh is bestowed endowed with plenty of natural resources with diverse agro-climatic conditions suitable for horticulture development. Shimla district has occupied a place of pride in the field of horticulture followed by Kullu and Kinnaur district. It is the biggest producer of quality fruits like Apple, Plum, Peach, and Pear etc. but, the apple constitutes one of the most significant and widely grown fruit of the state. Horticulture marketing is presently totally unorganized and is in the hands of middle man. Small land holdings and small volume of the produce available with the growers result in small bargaining Science, Technology and Development Volume X Issue IV APRIL 2021 ISSN : 0950-0707 Page No : 176