Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, December 26
The Centre free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand has triggered a political row in Himachal Pradesh, after reports that import duty on apples could be reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent. Congress national spokesperson and Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore said the move would harm domestic apple growers and warned the Centre against lowering tariffs on imported fruit. Rathore accused the government of acting against the interests of Indian farmers, arguing that cheaper imports would undercut local producers. He said the decision contradicted repeated assurances given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect apple growers in Himachal Pradesh. “The Prime Minister speaks of promoting indigenous production, but cutting import duty on foreign apples will only encourage imports and choke domestic growers,” Rathore said, calling the proposal “unfortunate and anti-farmer”.
He claimed Modi had earlier promised higher import duties—up to 100%—to safeguard Himachal’s apple economy, estimated at around ₹5,000 crore annually. Instead, he said, the proposed cut would deal a severe blow to orchardists. Rathore also warned that any move to further ease tariffs in future trade negotiations, including with the United States, could deepen the crisis, potentially forcing growers to abandon orchards. He urged BJP leaders and MPs from Himachal Pradesh to raise the issue with the Centre, and said the Congress was consulting growers’ organisations and would soon convene a meeting to decide its next course of action.
