Kashmir growers hail apple exemption
Shopian, Jul 24: With the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by India and the United Kingdom on Thursday, apples have been excluded from the list of zero-duty items, a move welcomed by apple growers in Kashmir.
Growers in Kashmir, the country’s key apple-producing region, accounting for more than 75 percent of total production, hailed the exemption as a major relief, fearing that tariff-free imports from the UK could have hurt local production.
“This is a welcome decision. Inclusion of apples could have flooded the market and threatened our livelihoods,” said Bashir Ahmad Bashir, Chairman Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union.
The India-UK free trade agreement aims to boost bilateral commerce across various sectors while shielding sensitive domestic industries from external competition.
The Jammu and Kashmir Fruits and Vegetables Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) welcomed the Centre’s decision to safeguard tariff cuts on apples under the CETA.
“This is a significant and welcome step toward protecting the interests of lakhs of apple growers across India, particularly those in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand”, said Izhan Javed, spokesperson of Jammu Kashmir Fruits and Vegetables Processing & Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) in a statement.
He said the matter was thoroughly discussed with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during a recent meeting in Srinagar, where representatives of JKPICCA highlighted the concerns of the apple farming community.
“Lakhs of households in India are directly associated with apple cultivation, and their livelihoods depend heavily on the sustenance of this vital sector. JKPICCA deeply appreciates the minister’s understanding and responsiveness to this issue,” reads the statement.
Muhammad Ashraf Wani, President of Fruit Mandi Shopian, said that it was a welcome and timely decision that would prevent the domestic market from being overwhelmed by cheaper imports. “Our farmers are already grappling with rising input costs and unpredictable weather. Allowing duty-free apple imports would have further destabilised the sector,” Wani said.
