Himachal: Growers to protest if tariff-free apple import allowed from US, says Negi

Revenue, Horticulture, Tribal Development and Redressal of Public Grievances Minister Jagat Singh Negi today said that apple growers will protest against the central government if it decides to zero the import duty on the apples on the instructions of USA President Donald Trump.

Addressing the media during a press conference, the minister said that recently a meeting regarding the upcoming apple season was held with the concerned stake holders during which the apple growers had expressed huge concern over the policies of central government regarding the import of apples.

“Earlier, a 75% tariff was imposed on apples imported from the United States of America that was later reduced to 50%. Also, when Donald Trump became the President of the USA, he had mentioned that he plans to further reduce the tariffs on apple. Now, the Niti Ayog has recommended the state government to make import of apple from the USA tariff-free, a decision that will drastically impact the apple growers of Himachal Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

“Therefore, it has been decided that the apple growers will raise this issue with the central government and will also make it clear that a mass movement will be launched if the central government makes the USA apple tariff-free at Trump’s behest,” said the minister.

He also hit out at BJP leaders for spreading misinformation that orchardists who will sell the apples from their orchards will be fined and said that BJP is anti-orchardist and now they are trying to spread false information as Trump has directed the central government to make USA apple tariff-free and they are trying to cover it up by spreading false rumours.

He said that the state government wants to assure that there is no restrictions on the orchardists regarding the sale of their produce and they can sell their produce wherever they want. “The state government had only mentioned that any commission agent, who is working outside the market yards, will have to display their licence so that orchardists could not be cheated. If any commission agent, who comes to purchase apples from the doorsteps of the orchardists, he too will have to show a valid licence issued by the government so that the orchardists do not get cheated out of their money,” he said.