Centre indifferent to demands of apple growers: Himachal Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi today accused the Central Government of being indifferent to the demands of apple growers, who were associated with the Rs 5,000 crore economy in Himachal that was being hit by the imports of the fruit from abroad.
To a question asked by Theog MLA Kuldeep Rathore in the Assembly, Negi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Himachal had assured the state that import duty on apple would be enhanced to 100 per cent. “On the contrary, the import duty has been reduced from 75 per cent to 50 per cent. We grow five lakh metric tonnes of apple while Jammu and Kashmir is producing 21 lakh tonnes. Apple is being imported from 32 countries and we have written to the Centre several times to discourage the import of apple from abroad, which is hitting our growers,” he lamented.
The minister said that Himachal had urged the Centre to impose a complete ban on the import of apple between July and November to protect local growers. “We have demanded a total ban on the transport of apple from Iran through Afghanistan, as 50,000 tonnes of the fruit is being imported,” he added. It was pointless to expect cooperation from the BJP in Himachal, as it was itself helpless, he alleged.
“We have started universal packaging and restored subsidy on insecticides in the interest of the growers,” Negi said. He added that the state government was doing its best to protect the interests of the apple growers.
Rathore said that the Rs 5,000 crore apple economy was facing a very difficult time with input cost rising. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that the import duty on apple would be enhanced from 50 per cent to 100 per cent but it had instead been reduced, which is hitting local growers badly,” he added. The import of cheaper apple from Iran and Turkey was hitting the growers of Himachal, he claimed.
