Growers suffering losses due to apple import: Theog MLA Kuldeep Rathore

Shimla, February 6

Kuldeep Rathore, AICC spokesperson and Theog MLA, today said that apple growers, who had stored their fruit, were not getting a good price due to heavy import from several countries. “The growers are facing losses mainly due to the import of Iranian apple, which is being illegally imported into the country via Afghanistan,” he added.

Rathore said, “The Central Government should immediately ban the fruit coming illegally through Afghanistan and raise the import duty on apple to 100 per cent.”

He said that he would raise the issue in the Vidhan Sabha during the upcoming Budget Session. “Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and MPs from the state should raise the matter with the Central Government,” he added.

He said that the Central Government had failed to stop the illegal import of apple via Afghanistan. “Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the apple growers that the import duty on apple would be raised from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. The duty has not been hiked and the growers are suffering losses,” he added.

Rathore said that the Central Government had promised that the income of farmers and fruit growers would be doubled, but they were in a deep financial crisis today.