Education Minister Rohit Thakur has criticised the Centre’s decision to reduce import duty on apples from New Zealand from 50 per cent to 25 per cent, warning that it poses a serious threat to Himachal Pradesh’s Rs 5,000-crore apple economy. He said apple cultivation is the backbone of the hill state’s rural livelihood, and cheaper imports will expose local growers to unfair competition.
Thakur said the Centre had assured protection to apple growers, but those commitments have not been honoured. He termed the move anti-horticulture, arguing that allowing imported apples during the domestic harvesting season will depress prices and harm growers who are already facing rising production costs and climate-related challenges.
He also pointed to the effective withdrawal of the Centre’s share from the Market Intervention Scheme for cull apples. The minister said the Union government slashed MIS allocation from around Rs. 4,000 crore in 2022–23 to just Rs. one lakh in 2023–24, depriving growers of a crucial safety net. Despite financial constraints, he said the Himachal government released nearly Rs. 160 crore from its own resources over the last three years to support growers.
Warning of wider consequences, Thakur said the FTA with New Zealand could open the door for similar duty cuts for other apple-exporting countries. He noted that the cost of apple production in Himachal is around Rs. 45 per kg, while imported apples could enter the market at about Rs. 35 per kg, severely undercutting domestic growers.
He demanded that the Centre roll back the duty reduction, restore higher import duties on apples and revive its share of the Market Intervention Scheme, saying Himachal Pradesh will strongly oppose policies that undermine its apple orchardists.
