Apple farming is very important for people living in areas of Himachal Pradesh. It helps a lot of farmers and people who own tiny farms.. Now apples from other countries like the US, Iran and Chile are coming into our country and are very cheap. This is why the people who grow apples in Himachal Pradesh want the government to put a 100% tax on imported apples. They want this to protect Apple farming and the people who depend on it. Apple farmers are worried. They want to save Apple farming.
Why Are Farmers Concerned?
When it comes to apples the price of imported apples is often lower than the price of apples that are grown in India. This means that imported apples can be sold at a price higher than domestic apples even during the time of year when apples are normally at their best. The price of apples gets affected because of this. Imported apples are available at a price and this affects the sales of domestic apples. The price of apples that are grown in India is higher than the price of imported apples so people are more likely to buy the imported apples. This is what happens with price suppression of apples because of imported apples.
- The farmers in Himachal are having a time. They have to pay money for things, like fertilisers, labour, packaging and transport. This means they are not making much money from selling their products as they used to. The cost of fertilisers is going up, the cost of labour is going up, the cost of packaging is going up. The cost of transport is going up. All these increasing costs are reducing the profit margins of Himachali farmers.
- The thing about apples from countries is that they look really good. This is because they get treatment like being stored in a good way having wax put on them and having a brand name. This makes people want to buy these apples from countries more than the ones from here. The Quality Competition is about these imported apples being more attractive to the people who buy them.
- The risk to people’s livelihood is a concern. Apple farming is what helps people in the area have jobs. These jobs are in the orchards where the apples are grown in the storage where the apples are kept in transport which means moving the apples from one place to another and in packaging which is getting the apples ready to be sold. Apple farming supports people working in all these areas.
Why Demand 100% Import Duty?
- Market protection is really important. This is because higher duties on imports will stop people from bringing in many things from other countries when India is harvesting its own crops. Market protection will help during the harvest season.
- Income Stability is really important because it makes sure that farmers in our country get paid prices for what they grow. This helps the farmers a lot. Income Stability is what ensures that domestic farmers get these prices.
- Food Security is very important to us. It makes our domestic horticulture stronger. This means we do not have to rely on countries for food as much. Food Security helps reduce the amount of food we import from places. So we can grow more of our food and be less dependent on imports. This is good for Food Security.
- Rural Economy Support is really important because it helps the economies of hill states that do not have many other crops to grow. This is a deal for these areas. Rural Economy Support is there to protect the hill-state economies that have limited options when it comes to crops.
- The demand for 100% import duty is not mere protectionism but a call for fair competition and livelihood security. A calibrated import policy balancing consumer interests and farmer welfare is crucial for the sustainable future of India’s apple economy.
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About the Author: Jyoti Verma
