 Summary of this article
- Local farmers fear a price drop of 20% in the coming months, noting that the impact of reduced duties on New Zealand apples has already been felt in the market
- Kashmir's farmers already struggling with low production due to erratic weather
- The horticulture sector remains the mainstay of Kashmir’s economy, with over 7,00,000 families depending on it for survival
For Mudasir Ahmed Wani, 40, an apple grower from South Kashmir’s Pulwama, who suffered a heavy loss to his fruit crop due to the closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and on account incessant rains last year, announcements by the Central government to lower the import duties on apple from the countries of United States, New Zealand and European Union have come as a big blow.
“With the reduction in the import duties, particularly from the United States, there will not be much price difference between the apples from that country and that of Kashmiri produce. This will have a major impact on apple growers, most of whom faced heavy losses due to the crop drop after incessant rains last year, and also after the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. This is a big blow to us,” says Mudasir. “We suffered a loss of over ₹4 lakh as the prices dropped by nearly 50% last year. The price of each carton of apples dropped to ₹300 from around ₹ 800 to 900,” he adds.
[url=]Related Content[/url]
 Tarigami Condemns Attacks On Kashmiris Outside J&K, Seeks Centre’s Intervention
 Language, Religion Trigger Brutal Attack On Kashmiri Teen In Uttarakhand
 R-Day Special: Celebrating The Legacy Of Kashmiri Padma Shri Awardee Professor Shafi Shauq
 Demand For Jammu Statehood Gains Momentum, Leaves Parties Divided
[url=]Related Content[/url]
Tarigami Condemns Attacks On Kashmiris Outside J&K, Seeks Centre’s Intervention
Language, Religion Trigger Brutal Attack On Kashmiri Teen In Uttarakhand
R-Day Special: Celebrating The Legacy Of Kashmiri Padma Shri Awardee Professor Shafi Shauq
Demand For Jammu Statehood Gains Momentum, Leaves Parties Divided
Kashmiri apple farmers, who have already been reeling from the losses, say that the reduction in the import duties has come as a major setback for them. Traders say that they have already faced a price drop due to the reduction in import duties onNew Zealand varieties of apples to India.
Ahead of the trade agreements between India, the European Union, and the United States, Kashmiri apple and walnut traders have sought an increase in the import duties to protect the local produce. In the past, heavy imports of Washington apples, Californian almond and walnuts have impacted the prices of Kashmiri produce.
Bashir Ahmed Basheer, chairman of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, has urged the Central government to increase the import duties on apples to 100% to protect the local economy. He says that despite the losses suffered by the farmers in last year’s floods and the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for several days, which damaged the stranded crop, neither the Central government nor the Union Territory administration has announced any package for the affected farmers. “The reductions in tariffs from the European Union, the United states and New Zealand will be a massive loss to the apple growers who are already struggling due to the increase in fertilizer and labour costs. It will become very difficult for the local farmers to compete with those from the developed countries like the United States or the European Union,” says Bashir.
Jammu and Kashmir: Successive Regimes Have Used Draconian Laws As A Political Tool
BY Ishfaq Naseem |
