Himachal Pradesh’s Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has lauded the Central Government’s decision to ban apple imports from abroad, except Bhutan, at a minimum price of less than Rs 50 per kg. Thakur thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire Central Government, stating that this is a historic decision that will benefit the apple growers in the state.
The Central Government has imposed a 50% import duty on apples, which means that apples coming from abroad will be available at a minimum of Rs 75 per kg. According to Thakur, apples from countries like Iran and Turkey were being sold without paying import duty and under-invoicing, which was impacting the state’s apple economy worth Rs 4500 crore. The new policy will provide relief to the apple growers who have been struggling with competition from imported apples.
Over the past five years, an average of 3.02 crore boxes of apples have been produced annually in the state. With this new policy, the apple growers of Himachal Pradesh can breathe a sigh of relief, as the price of apples coming from abroad will be at par with those produced locally. This move is expected to boost the local economy and promote the use of locally-grown produce.
Thakur also mentioned that the BJP had raised this issue many times with the Central Government and that the Center has now accepted this suggestion. He once again thanked the entire central leadership for this historic decision.
The ban on apple imports, except Bhutan, at a minimum price of less than Rs 50 per kg is a significant step towards promoting local produce and providing relief to the apple growers of Himachal Pradesh. This historic decision has been welcomed by the orchardists and is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy.
