J&K fruit growers demand 100% duty on US apple imports

Kulgam/Shopian, Aug 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Apple Farmers Federation on Wednesday staged protests across the Union Territory, demanding a 100 percent duty on apples imported from the United States.

“We appeal to Prime Minister Modi not to give in to American pressure and to impose a 100 percent duty on Washington apples and other foreign imports to safeguard the interests of domestic apple farmers,” Federation president Zahoor Ahmad Rather told reporters during a protest rally in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Scores of farmers from across the district joined the protest in support of the demands. Rather also sought the introduction of a comprehensive insurance scheme to protect poor farmers against crop losses caused by natural calamities, pests, and other risks.

He said farmers were reeling under heavy debts due to repeated crop losses and “anti-farmer” policies of the Central government. “It has been our long-standing demand to grant a waiver on loans taken under the Kisan Credit Card scheme,” he added.

Rather further urged the government to revive the Market Intervention Scheme to stabilise prices. Criticising the hike in power tariffs, he said poor consumers were unable to pay steep electricity bills. “The government has raised tariffs instead of providing free electricity as it had promised,” he remarked.

Similar protests were held in Shopian and parts of Jammu, where farmers staged demonstrations in support of the Federation’s demands. The organisation also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, seeking incentives for high-density apple cultivation, enhanced budgetary support for horticulture schemes, universal crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, revival of the Market Intervention Scheme, higher import duties on foreign apples, and a rollback of the recent electricity tariff hike.