Srinagar: Farmers in Kashmir have pressed a panic button after cheap Iranian apples started flooding Indian markets.
Import of Iranian apples has been a concern for farmers of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, who formed a unified group in 2021 to fight against the invasion of cheaper Iranian apple varieties.
Earlier. central government prohibited the import of apples. Cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) and the price of Iranian apples is around ₹50 per kg.
Farmers said that Iranian apples have again brought down the rates of Kashmiri apples by nearly 40 percent in the last three weeks.
“It has been a major concern for the apple farmers of Kashmir. The situation is such that there is a reduction in the demand for Kashmir apples. The rates of Kashmiri apples have come down by almost Rs 500 per box during these three weeks,” said Fayaz Ahmad Malik, president North Kashmir Fruit Growers Association.
He appealed to the government to impose a 100 percent duty on the import of Iranian apples to save the apple industry of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
“We fail to understand why isn’t import duty imposed on Iranian apples. We pay almost a hefty sum as export duty for our apple to countries including Bangladesh. We appeal to the government to save the apple industry of Kashmir, which employs lakhs of people,” Malik said.
Data revealed that Iran exported 1947.19 tonnes of apples valuing USD 1.82 million from April 2021 to January 2022.
Farmers said that Iranian apples sell at half the price of Kashmiri produce.
“Kashmiri apple is of superior quality. Currently, Iranian apples sell at Rs600 per 10.5 kilograms,” he added.
Farmers fear that their loss may escalate as a large quantity of apples is still lying in stores and cold storage.
“ A lot of apples are still in cold storage and may enter Indian markets by the end of December. If the flow of Iranian apples continues, we may face huge losses,” said Mohammad Akbar Dar, a grower.
Pertinently, Kashmiri apples have been fetching good rates in different markets this year so far.
