New Delhi, Dec 29: The Hill States Horticulture Forum (HSHF) has raised strong concerns over the potential impact of ongoing and proposed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on India’s apple sector, maintaining that tariff concessions on imported apples could severely undermine the livelihoods of growers in hill states.
A high-level delegation of the Forum, led by Harish Chouhan and comprising Maajid A. Wafai, Bashir Ahmad Naik, Izhan Javeed, Irshad A. Bhat and Sunil Aggarwal, met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi to apprise him of the challenges faced by apple growers from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The delegation highlighted that horticulture, particularly apple cultivation, forms the economic backbone of these regions, sustaining lakhs of farming families and supporting an extensive network of allied activities such as labour, transportation, packaging, cold storage and local trade. Any policy shift affecting apple imports, they warned, would have far-reaching socio-economic consequences.
Expressing concern over ongoing and proposed trade negotiations with countries including New Zealand, the European Union, the United States and Chile, the Forum cautioned that lowering import duties under Free Trade Agreements could expose domestic growers to unfair competition. Imported apples, they noted, often benefit from heavy subsidies, advanced mechanisation and export incentives in their countries of origin.
The delegation particularly flagged the proposal to allow apple imports from March onwards, stating that such a move would severely disrupt India’s marketing season and undermine the extensive cold-chain infrastructure developed over decades with government support. They said that this could depress domestic prices and adversely affect farmers, cold storage operators, transporters, commission agents and other stakeholders across the horticulture value chain.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the sector, the Forum noted that apple cultivation is not merely an agricultural activity but a cornerstone of the rural economy in hill states, contributing significantly to employment and regional income.
The delegation urged the government to undertake an immediate review of proposed tariff concessions under FTAs, carry out a comprehensive socio-economic impact assessment on the domestic apple sector, and strengthen safeguard mechanisms to prevent market distortion. It also sought a revision of the reference import price of apples from ₹50 to ₹90 per kilogram to curb under-invoicing and protect domestic producers.
The Forum further requested that farmer representatives be meaningfully consulted during trade negotiations affecting agriculture, ensuring that policy decisions reflect ground realities.
According to the delegation, the Union Agriculture Minister gave a patient hearing to all concerns and assured them that the interests of Indian farmers would remain paramount. The assurance, the Forum said, has provided confidence that the issues raised will receive serious consideration at the highest level.
