Taking a firm stand in favour of Himachal Pradesh’s apple growers, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday raised the issue of mounting apple imports with the Union Government, seeking urgent policy intervention to safeguard the state’s apple-based economy. The Chief Minister held detailed discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, highlighting the severe impact of foreign apple inflows on local orchardists.
Strongly advocating the interests of more than 2.5 lakh apple growers across the state, the Chief Minister called for apples to be brought under a “Special Category” to protect domestic producers from what he described as unfair international competition. He emphasized that Himachal’s apple sector, largely sustained by small and marginal farmers, is facing increasing pressure due to liberal import policies.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to impose an immediate ban on the import of apples during Himachal Pradesh’s peak production season, which runs from July to November. He also demanded that the import duty on apples be raised to 100 percent during the off-season months to discourage dumping of foreign produce in Indian markets. In addition, he sought the imposition of quantitative restrictions on apple imports to stabilize prices and protect growers’ incomes.
The Chief Minister informed the Union Finance Minister that a delegation of progressive orchardists from Himachal Pradesh had met him earlier and expressed serious concern over the reduction in import duty on apples imported from New Zealand. According to the growers, this policy shift has directly harmed local orchardists by depressing market prices and eroding profitability.
Highlighting the economic significance of the apple industry, the Chief Minister noted that Himachal Pradesh, widely known as the “Apple State of India,” earns nearly Rs. 4,500 crore annually from apple production. Apples account for about 80 percent of the state’s total fruit output and generate approximately 10 lakh man-days of employment each year, making the sector a critical pillar of the rural economy.
“This issue goes far beyond fruit trade. It is about the livelihood and sustenance of nearly 2.5 lakh families,” the Chief Minister said, adding that small and marginal farmers are being pushed to the edge by trade policies that favour foreign corporations over domestic producers.
Expressing concern over the Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand, the Chief Minister pointed out that apple imports have increased nearly 2.5 times over the past decade. He observed that the 25 percent duty exemption granted to New Zealand apples during the April to August period has severely impacted prices of locally produced apples stored in controlled atmosphere and cold storage facilities, effectively undermining Himachal’s off-season apple trade.
The Chief Minister stressed that concrete and effective steps must be taken at the policy level to protect the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers and ensure the long-term sustainability of Himachal’s apple economy.
Later, while interacting with the media, the Chief Minister also questioned the silence of the state’s BJP leadership on the issue. He urged them to raise the concerns of Himachal Pradesh and its apple growers at appropriate forums with the Central leadership, in the larger interest of the state’s farming community.
