Srinagar, Sept 25 (KNN) Kashmir’s apple industry fears heavy losses this season due to centre’s recent revision of tariff on the premium Washington apple.

The decision was made in June when New Delhi slashed an additional 20 per cent from the previously imposed 70 per cent tariff on premium Washington apple during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States.

Zahoor Ahmad Rather, president of the J&K Committee of Apple Farmers’ Federation of India said, “The culprit was the duty-free entry of Iranian apple into the Indian market via Afghanistan, a development that dealt a severe blow to Kashmiri apple growers.”

Drawing a sharp contrast between the imported apples and those cultivated locally, Zahoor Rather says, “Imported apples from the US and other countries boast of impeccable quality, exhibiting vibrant colours and substantial size. Our apples excel only in flavour. Obviously, consumers are attracted to the visual appeal of the apple.”

He says the growers in America and other countries receive substantial subsidies from their governments, while the farmers in Kashmir bear the brunt of escalating costs, devoid of government support.

The imported apples, he adds, enter the market at significantly lower price points due to the subsidies provided to them by their respective governments. Rather added that the slashing of import tariff has added to our woes.

“The Indian market should prioritise indigenous growers, which is why we advocate 100 per cent import duty. Reduced prices may be beneficial for buyers, but they come at the cost of our livelihood,” he said.

New Delhi’s decision to reduce import duties now allows imported apples to inundate the market at affordable rates while maintaining high quality, presenting an uphill battle for local growers, reported Tribune.

More than seven lakh apple-growing families are dependent on Kashmir’s Rs 12,000-crore apple industry. The region produces 22 lakh MT of fresh fruit annually.  (KNN Bureau)