Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in New Delhi late last evening and strongly advocated for a ban on apple imports during the peak apple production season from July to November. He also urged the Centre to raise the import duty on apples to 100 percent during the remaining months to discourage excessive imports.
Highlighting the concerns of apple growers, the Chief Minister sought the Centre’s intervention to safeguard the interests of nearly 2.5 lakh farmers engaged in apple cultivation. He pointed out that apple accounts for about 80 percent of the state’s total fruit production and generates an annual income of approximately ₹4,500 crore.
The Chief Minister said that he had promptly taken up the issue after horticulturists met him last week to voice their grievances. He added that the matter had also been raised with the Union Finance Minister, urging swift action in the interest of farmers.
During the meeting, Sukhu apprised the Union Minister of the serious concerns of apple growers regarding the reduction in import duty on apples. He noted that apple imports have increased nearly two-and-a-half times over the past decade and warned that volumes could rise further due to various free trade agreements. He explained that the seasonal import window for New Zealand apples runs from April to August with a reduced tariff of 25 percent, while a 50 percent duty applies during other months.
The Chief Minister emphasized that free trade agreements could adversely impact in-season apple sales, affect prices of apples stored in cold storages across the state, and harm off-season trade as well, thereby threatening the livelihood of apple growers.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
