Exclude apple from Indo-US trade deal, Mehbooba urges PM
Warns that such a move would deliver a 'death blow' to Kashmir’s orchard-based economy
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to safeguard Kashmir’s horticulture sector by excluding apples from the proposed Indo-US trade deal.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mufti expressed concern over reports suggesting the import of American apples at zero duty. She warned that such a move would deliver a “death blow” to Kashmir’s orchard-based economy.
Highlighting the importance of the sector, Mufti said horticulture forms the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, supporting over seven lakh families whose livelihoods depend on it.
“The sector is already bleeding due to low-priced Iranian apple imports routed through SAFTA, which have depressed market prices and weakened demand for local produce. Flooding our markets with heavily subsidised American apples will trigger a price war we cannot win,” she said.
Mufti pointed to the structural challenges faced by local growers, including climate uncertainty, weak supply chains and high transportation costs, contrasting them with the substantial subsidies enjoyed by American farmers.
“Protecting Kashmiri apples is not protectionism; it is about safeguarding livelihoods, heritage and the dignity of farming,” she said.
She demanded that the Centre exclude apples from the Indo-US trade list, retain at least a 50 per cent import duty to ensure a level playing field, strictly enforce Minimum Import Price (MIP) mechanisms, and provide targeted subsidies, easy credit and infrastructure support to local growers. “If the Centre fails to act, lakhs of orchard families will be pushed into irreversible financial distress,” Mufti added.
