Srinagar, Sep 11: Various political leaders have expressed dismay over the removing of additional duties on apples and walnuts imported from US and urged the central government to reconsider its decision.
MEHBOOBA MUFTI
Former chief minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti posted on X, "GOIs decision to remove additional duties on apples, walnuts & almonds will have a devastating effect on local growers in J&K already grappling with huge losses post 2019. Hope @PMOIndia reconsiders."
GHULAM AHMAD MIR
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Monday said that that lifting additional duties on import of various American products will lead to economic distress, huge losses to J&K and Himachal fruit industry.
He urged the government of India to revisit the decision in the larger interests of growers. Congress leader said this decision will severely impact the fruit industry in J&K and Himachal. He added that J&K growers have already undergone tremendous losses, be it the unfavourable situation or be it the climatic urgencies happened from time to time.
Mir said there is a need for a special bailout package for the growers to overcome the economic crisis instead the decision regarding lifting import duties on American products shall create more problems for the growers and market as well.
M Y TARIGAMI
CPI (M) leader M Y Tarigami posted on X, “ Dropping import duty on Washington apples from 35 % to 15% is PM Modi's G20 gift to Joe Biden. In the US, corporations are engaged in apple farming with the state giving them heavy subsidies on fertilisers & pesticides. Our marginal growers,in contrast, are groaning under debts. They are unable to even recoup the input costs. Reducing the import duty is bound to compound their distress.”
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference expressed dismay over removal of additional duties on Apple, walnuts, almond imports from USA, saying the measure will directly hit the interests of the horticulture industry in Kashmir.
Voicing concern over the decision Party's Horticulture and Agriculture Committee Chairman Javed Dar said that slashing the additional duties on apples, walnuts in shells, and fresh or dried almonds, as well as shelled almonds to be imported from America will have direct bearing on Kashmir fruit growers as all these products, which are locally grown and produced, will suffer huge losses.
"The quantum of cheap apples and dry fruits entering India from the US will eat into the market share of the Kashmiri produce as a result of which the growers will suffer huge economic losses. The local fruit industry is already facing stiff challenges due to the weather vagaries, road blockages, dearth of cold storage facilities, escalating production cost and much more. The industry is no longer delivering good returns, making the business unviable for as the imported fruits will see for a much cheaper price. The horticulture sector in Kashmir has already lost momentum due to the failure of the government to address concerns of the growers. The decision will further push them to the wall,” he said.
Javed asked the government to rationalise the fruit imports from the US in order to protect the vital financial interests of the local growers.
HAKEEM MOHAMMAD YASEEN
Former minister and Chairman J&K Peoples Democratic Front (JKPDF) termed the recent Central government decision to reduce import duty on Washington apple as detrimental for the J&K fruit industry . He demanded its immediate roll back . Hakeem said hat fruit industry was already grappling with multiple challenges adding that reduction of the extra 20 percent import duty on Washington Apples would plunge it into worst ever financial crisis .
DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE AZAD PARTY
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) expressed concerns over the lifting of extra tariff to Walnuts and Apple imported from the United States of America. The party chief spokesman Salman Nizami said that the move is likely to affect the apple and walnut industry of Kashmir which is the main source of their economy. He said once the extra tariffs are lifted, the American apple and walnut may dominate the local market evident from the past and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take the move cautiously to ensure local growers are not affected.
