AFFI Urges Joint CM Delegation to PM Modi Against US Apple Import Duty Cut

Apple Farmers' Federation of India (AFFI) had demanded that changes to the import duty on Washington apples be non-negotiable in the on-going discussion on the India-US trade deal. It has appealed to the representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Himachal Pradesh (HP) governments to send their Chief Ministers in a joint delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.

A delegation led by M.Y. Tarigami, MLA, and Convenor of AFFI and Rakesh Singha, former MLA, and Co-convenor of AFFI met Jagat Singh Negi, Horticulture Minister of HP in Shimla. Mr. Negi assured the delegation that he will speak with Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. AFFI is the body of apple growers from Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), Himachal Pradesh(HP) and Uttarakhand.

M.Y. Tarigami also met the Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture/Horticulture, J&K and Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah in Srinagar on the  same issue. They too extended support on opposing the tariff reduction and also conveyed that the Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan on his upcoming J&K visit will be asked to protect the interests of domestic apple growers over the US.

Both the government representatives have responded positively to the suggestion of a joint chief ministerial delegation. It is relevant here to note that imports are forecast this year to reach 6 lakh metric tonnes (MT) from the actual 5 lakh+MT in 2023/24 season as shipments from the US continue to grow from last year’s record (even without the tariff reduction). 

Since 2001, apple imports have climbed from 0.2.lakh MT to 6 lakh MT, from 1.7 per cent of domestic production to 22.5 per cent.  Foreign apples from US and other countries are out-competing our domestic fruit, putting the lives of more than 8 lakh apple growing households in peril.