Shimla: Throwing his weight behind farmers and orchardists, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu voiced strong concerns during his visit to Srinagar over proposed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that could adversely affect India’s domestic apple industry.
He warned that lowering import barriers may expose growers in both Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal to unfair competition, potentially undermining the livelihoods of farmers and orchardists who depend heavily on apple cultivation.
Not only apples, the chief minister said, the agreements signed by the Government of India would result in a surge of imported apples, walnuts, almonds, and other horticultural produce, thereby placing immense pressure on local growers who may struggle to secure remunerative prices for their crops.
There are more than seven lakh families involved in the horticulture sector in Kashmir and 2.50 lakh in Himachal Pradesh—a state whose apple economy alone is worth Rs 5,500 cr.
He warned that the adverse consequences of such policies would become increasingly evident in the years ahead, and farmers would be direct victims of these policies
The Chief Minister underscored that agriculture and horticulture constitute the backbone of the economies of both Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, sustaining a substantial portion of their populations.
“Himachal Pradesh’s apple industry alone has an annual turnover of over Rs. 5000 crore and provides direct and indirect employment to nearly 2.5 lakh families. Likewise, in Jammu & Kashmir, a significant segment of the population depends on horticulture for livelihood, with apples, walnuts, and almonds forming the mainstay of the region’s agricultural economy,” he said.
Sukhu reminded that the Union government has entered into FTAs with countries such as New Zealand, the United States, and the European Union, under which import duties on apples and dry fruits have reportedly been reduced.
According to him, these policy decisions would directly undermine the interests of farmers and orchardists in both states. He asserted that such agreements do not serve the interests of India’s farmers or the common people and called for a reassessment of policies that could jeopardise domestic agricultural sustainability.