Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today strongly advocated the interests of Himachal Pradesh’s apple growers during a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking urgent intervention to curb the growing influx of imported apples that is impacting the State’s apple economy.
Raising concerns over unfair international competition, the Chief Minister urged the Union Government to include apples under a “Special Category”, ensuring greater protection for domestic growers. He demanded a complete ban on apple imports during the peak production season from July to November and a 100 percent import duty during off-season months, along with quantitative restrictions to discourage dumping of foreign apples.
CM Sukhu informed the Union Finance Minister that a delegation of progressive orchardists from Himachal Pradesh had also met him recently and expressed serious concern over the reduction in import duty on apples from New Zealand, which has adversely affected local growers.
Highlighting the economic importance of apple cultivation, the Chief Minister stated that Himachal Pradesh, known as the “Apple State of India”, generates nearly ₹4,500 crore annually from apple production, contributing around 80 percent of the State’s total fruit output.
“This is not merely about fruit, but about the livelihood of over 2.5 lakh families and the generation of nearly 10 lakh man-days of employment,” the Chief Minister said, adding that small and marginal farmers were being pushed to the brink by trade policies favouring foreign corporations.
Expressing concern over the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, CM Sukhu pointed out that apple imports from the country have increased 2.5 times over the past decade. He said the 25 percent duty exemption during April–August has severely impacted prices of locally stored apples, damaging the off-season market for Himachal growers.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for immediate and effective measures to safeguard the livelihoods of small and marginal apple farmers.
Later, while interacting with the media, CM Sukhu questioned the silence of the BJP leadership in Himachal Pradesh and urged them to raise the issue of apple growers’ welfare with the Central leadership in the larger interest of Himachali farmers.
