In the midst of election season, Kashmir has begun its apple harvesting, drawing attention to the influx of foreign apples, notably from Afghanistan and Iran, raising alarms among local growers and traders. With the early arrival of these overseas varieties, stakeholders in regions such as Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag, and Kulgam are facing potential price impacts on their crops. Peer Shabir Ahmad, an orchard owner and the president of the Pesticides and Dealers Association in Shopian, highlighted the early entry of Iranian and Afghan apples into the market, anticipating a negative effect on local apple prices.
Local apple cultivators are advocating for the imposition of substantial duties on these imports, urging government intervention to protect the domestic apple industry. Muhammad Ashraf Wani, President of Fruit Mandi Shopian, specifically calls for a 100 percent import duty on foreign apples to support local producers and traders, amid challenges such as hailstorms and climate change effects on crops.
The region has recently been hit by severe weather, including hailstorms and high winds, damaging up to 60 percent of apple orchards in some areas. This, coupled with the competitive pressure from imported apples, could further lower local apple prices, according to fruit grower Rouf Ahmad. Additionally, Zahoor Ahmad Rather, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Chapter of the Apple Farmers' Federation of India, emphasizes the need for increased import duties on apples from Washington and other regions to ensure fair prices for local farmers and suggests the implementation of a market intervention scheme by the government.
Source: Greater Kashmir