Due to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, apple imports into India have surged nearly 2.5 times over the past ten years, while the 25 percent duty exemption allowed during the April–August window has been crashing prices of locally produced apples stored in CA and cold storage facilities, effectively destroying the off-season trade for Himachal Pradesh’s apple growers.
Raising these concerns, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday took the issue to the Union Government, urging immediate corrective measures to protect the state’s apple economy. In a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, the Chief Minister sought urgent intervention against the growing influx of foreign apples, which he said was hurting small and marginal orchardists the most.
Advocating for over 2.5 lakh apple growers of the state, Sukhu demanded a 100 percent import duty on apples during the off-season and a complete ban on imports during Himachal’s peak production period from July to November. He also urged the Centre to impose quantitative restrictions on apple imports and to include apples in a “Special Category” to shield domestic growers from unfair international competition.
The Chief Minister informed the Union Finance Minister that a delegation of progressive orchardists from Himachal Pradesh had also met him recently and expressed serious concern over the reduction in import duty on New Zealand apples. He said the present import policy has led to a sharp decline in market prices, undermining the viability of apples stored for off-season sale.
Highlighting the economic significance of the crop, Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh, known as the Apple State of India, generates around ₹4,500 crore annually from apple production, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of the state’s total fruit output. He added that the apple economy supports nearly 2.5 lakh families and creates about 10 lakh man-days of employment every year.
“This is not merely a trade issue, but a question of livelihood for small and marginal farmers,” the Chief Minister said, stressing that effective steps must be taken immediately to protect apple growers from the adverse impact of trade agreements.
Later, while speaking to the media, Sukhu questioned the silence of the BJP leadership in Himachal Pradesh on the issue and urged them to take up the matter with the central leadership, stating that safeguarding the interests of Himachali farmers should be a shared responsibility.
