Apple of discord
Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their discontent with the Union and state governments and accused them of taking anti-farmer steps that have hit the apple cultivators hard in both regions, which account for more than 95 per cent of India’s total apple production.
Apple growers in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their discontent with the Union and state governments and accused them of taking anti-farmer steps that have hit the apple cultivators hard in both regions, which account for more than 95 per cent of India’s total apple production.
On a call given by the Apple Farmers’ Federation of India (AFFI), affiliated to CPI-backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the apple farmers observed October 21 as ‘National Apple Day’ by holding village-level meetings in both regions to discuss the crisis confronting apple growers, following which demonstrations were held outside local administration offices by state units of AFFI, the federation said in a statement.
A memorandum with a seven-point Charter of Demands addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was submitted to the authorities at Theog and Nirmand in HP and Kulgam Mini Secretariat in Kashmir.
A Town Hall convention was also organized by J&K AFFI in Kulgam to discuss the issues facing apple growers.
In Srinagar, a big demonstration was organized outside the Press Club.
In its charter of demands, the AAFI has asked the Central government to declare apple's profitable value, impose 100 per cent import duty on apples, mandate Universal Carton, provide fertilizers and pesticides at cheap rates, remove GST from all kinds of products connected to apple, import only tested varieties of apples, and bring private CA (controlled atmosphere) stores under regulation.
In addition, the apple growers of Kashmir valley have demanded an end to frequent traffic disruptions on the national highway during the movement of Lt Gov Manoj Sinha as trucks transporting apples are halted for long periods.
On behalf of the AFFI Coordination Committee, Sohan Singh Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) and Abdul Rashid (J&K) congratulated the apple farmers for responding enthusiastically to its call to observe the 'National Apple Day’.
