As India draws red lines on agriculture in US trade talks, Kashmir’s apple growers keep fingers crossed.

By: Yasir Ahmed – Ziraat Times

Srinagar/New Delhi: The Ministry of Commerce has refusal to yield ground on sensitive agricultural issues — including dairy, genetically modified (GM) crops, and key food grains — during the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States in Washington DC.

Senior officials who spoke to Ziraat Times on the matter said that with the July 9 deadline looming for a possible interim trade deal, India’s tough stance on agriculture is unlikely to bend and compromise on the basic interests of the country’s farmers, especially those producing basic food grains, dairy items.

Commerce Ministry is particularly unwilling to provide market access to US dairy products, GM crops such as corn and soya, and critical food grains like rice and wheat, citing food security concerns and protection of domestic producers.

Sources familiar with the negotiations say that India has hardened its position, calling agriculture a “red line” and asserting that many of the US demands are non-negotiable.

Potential fallout for J&K’s horticulture sector

While the stance protects domestic agriculture from the influx of subsidised US produce, J&K’s apple growers could still feel the heat if the broader trade deal collapses. This is because the reciprocal tariffs of up to 26% on Indian exports, imposed by the US as part of the Trump-era tariff measures, may be fully implemented if no agreement is reached by July 9.

Currently, bare minimum J&K apples and processed fruit products are exported to the US and, therefore, apple exports are likely to remain insulated from any major shock.

“While our apples are not directly under the US radar, any major reduction on tariffs on US apples to Indian markets could impact Kashmir and Himachal farmers. Even government of India is unlikely to allow that,” said a senior official of a leading fruit exporters’ association in Kashmir.

Local growers and trade bodies are watching the developments closely. “India is right to protect us from cheap GM imports that could destroy our biodiversity and traditional farming,” said Zahid Amin, a progressive apple farmer from Sopore. “But at the same time, we urge the Centre to negotiate strong import safeguards to protect Kashmiri and Himachal farmers, especially those producing apples and walnuts.”

With only days left before the July 9 deadline, the Indian negotiating team is reportedly staying on in Washington in a last-ditch attempt to strike a deal that avoids escalation. Even if the talks fail to produce a breakthrough, stakeholders hope for a postponement in the reciprocal tariff imposition, giving both sides more time.

For Kashmir’s apple growers, the Centre’s firm stand on agriculture remains reassuring for now.