Srinagar, Feb 20: Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect Kashmir’s horticulture sector by keeping apples out of the proposed Indo-US trade agreement.
Raising concerns over reports suggesting zero-duty imports of American apples as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, Mehbooba cautioned that such a decision would severely impact the Valley’s orchard-based economy. She said horticulture remains the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, sustaining over seven lakh families whose livelihoods depend entirely on apple cultivation.
“The sector is already under strain due to low-cost Iranian apple imports routed through SAFTA, which have brought down prices and affected local demand. Allowing heavily subsidized American apples into Indian markets at zero duty will create unfair competition for our growers,” she said.
Highlighting the challenges faced by local orchardists, Mehbooba pointed to climate uncertainties, inadequate infrastructure, supply chain bottlenecks, and high transportation costs. She contrasted this with the substantial subsidies and support extended to American farmers.
She asserted that protecting Kashmiri apples is essential to preserving livelihoods and the region’s agricultural heritage. Mehbooba urged the Centre to exclude apples from the trade deal, maintain at least 50 percent import duty, strictly implement Minimum Import Price (MIP) norms, and provide targeted financial assistance, affordable credit, and infrastructure support to growers.
Warning of serious economic consequences, she said that failure to safeguard the sector could push lakhs of orchard families into deep financial distress. (KNC)
