Reduction in tariff on US apple will hurt Himachal growers, Anurag urges Goyal

Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur has written a letter to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, raising the concern of apple orchardists of Himachal over expectation that the tariff on apple imported from the US could be reduced.

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“Apple farmers of Himachal Pradesh are concerned about the projected reduction in tariff on apple imported from the US. Given the ongoing trade discussions between India and the US, these farmers fear that any tariff reduction will have a direct and widespread impact on their livelihood,” he wrote.

He urged Goyal to consider the distress and interests of these farmers and also those who make a living from apple farming while negotiating tariff reduction with the US.

He said that at present, the red delicious variety of apple being imported from the US was impacting the fruit market of Himachal as the cost of production in the US was lower due to several federal assistance programmes compared to apple grown in India. “In the event of any further reduction in tariff, it will result in a steep reduction in import duty, which will further worsen the already uneven playing field. It will affect the production of apple in Himachal Pradesh further,” he stated.

Anurag pointed out that Himachal Pradesh had a leading position in apple production in the country. “The state contributes about 25 per cent of the apple production in the country, which is about 6.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, about Rs 5,000 crore in financial terms,” he added.