Srinagar, Mar 11: Panic has gripped apple growers in Kashmir over the tariff war between India and the US.
The policy shift, led by President Donald Trump, has sent alarm bells ringing among the fruit growers. Industry fears that if India further reduces import duty on US apples, it will sound a death knell to local produce.
Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union (KVFGCDU) fear that the influx of cheaper US apples will severely impact their earnings, which have already been under strain for years due to various challenges.
“Slashing down import duty on Washington Apple have added additional miseries for valley based fruit growers and dealers who are of the fear that the reduction in the tariff on Washington Apple will significantly increase the import of Washington Apple in Indian markets, thereby shrinking the space for domestic product of Apple,” Bashir Ahmad Bashir, president KVFGCDU said.
He said the apple industry in Kashmir has suffered repeated blows over the years following turmoil, 2014 floods, and extreme weather events.
Apple growers and traders have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider tariff negotiations with the US.
“Under the circumstances, the Prime Minister of India is requested kindly to consider necessary measures for saving the fruit industry of J&K (UT) Himachal and Uttarakhand,” he said.
The fruit growers and dealers are calling for a 100% import duty on Washington apples, ensuring fair competition and protecting India’s domestic fruit industry from a price war.
“We request Prime Minister to kindly avoid negotiation on reciprocal tariffs announced by President Donald J. Trump instead efforts be made for imposition of 100% duty on arrival of Washington Apple in the Indian markets so that the Fruit Growers of the Valley, Himachal and Uttarakhand will feel a sigh of relief,” Bashir said.
He claimed that more than seven lakh families are dependent on the horticulture industry in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our Country is one of the world’s largest producer of Apple, however, arrival of imported apple in our country have put fruit industry of J&K (UT), Himachal and Uttarakhand in a very precarious situation pushing the small and marginal fruit growers of J&K (UT) Himachal and Uttarakhand in mental agony. The heavy flow of imported apples in the Indian markets and sale thereof is not only disastrous for small and marginal growers of Kashmir, Himachal, and Uttarakhand but also results in huge losses to the state exchequer as well,” he said.
Pertinently, horticulture is the mainstay of Kashmir’s economy and the valley’s biggest economy, the Rs 10,000 crore apple industry, providing a livelihood to around 3.5 million people in the region.
Horticulture contributes eight percent to the Gross State Domestic Product of Jammu and Kashmir.
